Alan Shearer said he "cannot understand" why Chelsea striker Cole Palmer withdrew from England's squad for the UEFA Nations League, especially given that Palmer has had limited playing time since missing the World Cup this summer.

"I think if you get the chance, you should play for England. It shouldn't just be about major tournaments like the World Cup and Euros."

"We don't know all the details, we're all just speculating, but such a large-scale withdrawal of players is unusual, isn't it?

"Declan Rice's withdrawal, I think, is down to him playing too many matches and having some minor injuries."

"I don't know the specific situations with other players, but it's unusual for so many players to withdraw at the same time.

However, looking at it from another angle, it also creates opportunities for others. Take Morgan Gibbs-White, for example; Thomas Tuchel previously said the team had too many number 10s, and now there's one fewer."

"Now an opportunity has opened up for him. You can imagine that if he's selected and performs brilliantly, scores goals and plays a high-quality match, the manager will have to consider inviting him to the next squad. That's the kind of opportunity he has right now."

However, Palmer had a long summer break and limited playing time, so the news of his withdrawal still puzzled Shearer.

The Premier League's all-time leading goalscorer added: "One thing I really cannot understand is Cole Palmer's withdrawal from England's squad.

"I understand that players need to manage their workload, but he hasn't played much; and Chelsea have no European commitments this season, so his future workload won't be very heavy either."

"Without knowing all the inside details, that's what puzzles me most, especially considering he missed the World Cup this year."

Shearer is looking forward to England's upcoming four Nations League matches, particularly Saturday's clash with Spain – a rematch of the Euro 2024 final – which England hopes to use as a kind of revenge.

"Nations League matches are more meaningful than friendlies. The tournament was created to replace less valuable friendly matches and increase competitive intensity, so I very much approve of this model for international competitions."

"In England's case, the competitiveness of the games is genuinely higher."

"A match against Spain is far more engaging than a friendly against a minnow."

"Any trophy is worth fighting for, but England's real targets are the Euros and the World Cup. The World Cup is over, and now the entire team is preparing for the European Championship, which will be held at home in two years, and all these current matches are part of that preparation."

Ahead of the tough fixture at Wembley this weekend, the Newcastle legend predicted that England could draw with the world champions.

"Saturday's match between England and Spain carries special significance, especially after England's painful exit from the World Cup," he continued.

"The focus of discussion before the match will inevitably be England's World Cup loss to Argentina, and Thomas Tuchel has had to answer related questions repeatedly at the press conference."

"But I disagree with some of his comments. He said that 99% of people he's encountered don't want to talk about the Argentina match – everyone was talking about Croatia and Mexico."

"At least my colleagues and friends aren't like that. So this match is very important; the team wants to emerge from the shadow of that previous defeat. England wants to take the field and make everyone focus on this showdown, rather than constantly discussing the past against Argentina."

"I predict a 2-2 draw. It will be a very entertaining match, and starting the Nations League campaign with such a tough fixture would be ideal. Spain and England will draw on Saturday."

Переведено ИИ.

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