'A lie' & 'nonsense' - Palmer committed to England, says Rogers

Rogers defends Palmer's commitment to England after Tuchel left him out, saying criticism of the Chelsea forward is unfounded.

Morgan Rogers has defended his Chelsea team-mate Cole Palmer against suggestions he is not committed to England, calling such criticism "a lie" and "nonsense".

Palmer was omitted from the squad for Wednesday's 2-1 Nations League win over Croatia, with manager Thomas Tuchel explaining that the 24-year-old "misses too many chances to impress". Palmer has featured in only three of Tuchel's 27 games since taking over from Gareth Southgate, despite scoring 50 Premier League goals this season.

Rogers, who scored in the Wembley victory, said Palmer wants to represent his country and is managing his body after injury struggles last year. "It has nothing to do with England or not wanting to play with England," Rogers told BBC Radio 5 Live. "It's a nonsense really that people are questioning someone that wants to play for England."

Tuchel has suggested Palmer should not give up hope, pointing to Jude Bellingham's example: the Real Madrid midfielder was left out last October but became a key player at the World Cup.