Morgan Rogers says 'it's a lie' that Cole Palmer does not want to play for England

Rogers defended Palmer's commitment to England, saying claims the Chelsea forward doesn't want to play are false and blaming injury management for his squad withdrawals.

Morgan Rogers has strongly defended his Chelsea teammate Cole Palmer against suggestions he lacks commitment to playing for England. Palmer was left out of the squad for Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain after withdrawing from last month's camp with a groin injury, prompting England manager Thomas Tuchel to express frustration about the forward "missing too many opportunities" to represent his country.

Rogers, who scored in England's 2-1 win over Croatia on Thursday, dismissed the criticism as "a lie". He explained that Palmer has been managing injuries since a difficult year and wants to protect his body for a long career, not because he lacks desire to play for England.

"He wants to be here. He wanted to get called up and he wanted to come and represent his country," Rogers said. "It has nothing to do with England or not wanting to play with England. It's a nonsense really that people are questioning someone that wants to play for England."

Tuchel backed Rogers's comments, saying it was "totally fine" for the teammate to defend Palmer. England secured their place in the Nations League quarter-finals with the Croatia victory and will aim to win Group A3 against Spain in Madrid on Sunday.