Why England Invited Chelsea’s Cole Palmer And Two Other Youngsters

The Three Lions of England head coach, Gareth Southgate has given Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis, and Ezri Konsa their first call-up to the national team to replace the players who have withdrawn from the team.

The aforementioned youngsters are expected to feature in England’s two Euro 2024 qualifiers this November.

They are the direct replacements for James Maddison, Lewis Dunk, and Callum Wilson who were forced to withdraw due to injuries.

This means that Lewis, a defender for Manchester City, and Palmer, a forward for Chelsea, have been promoted from England’s under-21 team to Gareth Southgate’s senior team.

They are expected to feature in England’s matches scheduled for November 17 against Malta and November 20 against North Macedonia.

Palmer, 21, has been playing well for Chelsea this season and was a member of the England U21 team that won the European Championship last summer.

He came from Manchester City to the Blues during last summer’s transfer window, and on Sunday, in an exciting 4–4 Premier League draw, he scored a penalty against his old team.

Lewis, 18, was a member of the City team that won the Treble the previous season and has received multiple mentions from Southgate.

Konsa, a 26-year-old defender for Villa, helped his team finish fifth in the Premier League last season after winning the Under-20 World Cup with England.

Note that England have already qualified for the European Championship, which will take place in Germany in June and July 2023, after defeating Italy 3-1 in October.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is doubtful for the games because of a shoulder injury.