Cole Palmer is a cheat code: Chelsea's talisman must be on the plane to the World Cup with England regardless of fitness level

Like one of his late runs into the box or pinpoint through-balls, Palmer's timing is perfect. He seems to have rediscovered his rhythm ahead of the final third of the season, just as Tuchel is piecing together his final England squad before he names his group for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico in the summer.

The Three Lions face Uruguay and Japan in a pair of March friendlies, and the German tactician will have some incredibly tough decisions to make before and after that camp - including who will occupy the No.10 role. Despite some stiff competition from the likes of Palmer's close friend Morgan Rogers, Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham, Arsenal's Eberechi Eze and ex-Manchester City team-mate Phil Foden, Palmer's current form is impossible to ignore.

Rosenior's arrival in the Stamford Bridge dugout certainly seems to have had an effect; the attacker has eight goal involvements in just six appearances since the Englishman took the reins, including a match-winning first-half hat-trick at Wolves at the weekend which he followed up with a goal and assist in the frustrating draw with Leeds on Tuesday. After a number of weeks where he looked a shadow of his former self, his influence is steadily growing again.

Palmer is the first to admit that he's not yet back at his very peak, and you can see that in some of his movements and decision-making, with his change of pace and explosive movements still not at the level they can be when he is at his devastating best. This is not someone who is fully convinced that their body isn't going to let them down at any given moment.

"You know, obviously people don't know what goes on behind the scenes or whatever, but obviously being injured the whole season is not ideal," he said after claiming the match ball at Molineux. "And when I'm not able to perform as I want to because of obviously, I've been injured and stuff, and still dealing with an injury. But hopefully I can get over the injury soon by managing it and, because obviously I know what level I can provide when, when I feel 100 percent fit."

It was certainly a positive that he was able to start his second game in the space of three days against Leeds, having previously had his minutes closely managed. If this is the beginning of Palmer's return to prominence, following a meteoric rise that saw him notch 43 goals and 29 assists across his first two seasons in west London, then the prospect of the damage he could do when at full capacity is a frightening one that surely can't be ignored.

Rosenior is under no illusions as to what a fully-fit Palmer would be capable of. "We know what a world-class player he is. He's played a lot of football over the last year with not much rest," the head coach said in the wake of the Wolves win. "But when he's at his best he's unstoppable. I'm delighted to be working with him.

"He doesn't need to change. When he's fully fit, fully firing, he's a magnificent footballer. But when you're at this club with the scrutiny - which I'm starting to learn myself - you have to block out the noise and remember what a good footballer you are.

"I love working with him. He loves being here. Hopefully he can enjoy it between now and the end of the season because it will help him on the pitch."

In the grand scheme of things, what may ultimately play against Palmer is his significant lack of involvement under Tuchel since the German tactician began work as England boss in earnest almost a year ago. In fact, he has earned just three caps since his vital goal in the Euro 2024 final - a moment that was expected to be a watershed in his international career - as a result of a string of ill-timed fitness problems. Just one of those has come since Tuchel arrived at the helm as he played 65 minutes against Andorra last June.

The attacker's nagging groin issue has kept him out of all three England camps so far this season, seeing him miss six games at a crucial juncture in the World Cup cycle as tactical plans are cemented and players look to stake a claim for a place in the final squad. In Palmer's absence, Rogers in particular has impressed, with the suggestion that the Aston Villa playmaker could even keep Bellingham - who's had his own fitness troubles - out of the starting line-up.

Tuchel has previously said he wouldn't load his squad with attacking midfielders and is willing to leave the country's most talented players at home if they don't fit his setup. He addressed Palmer's situation in October, saying: "He was only in the June camp. That is concerning, of course. First of all, the most important thing is that he can play without pain, because the groin issue is a very dangerous one to become chronic. This is the most important thing.

"We clearly understand and see the potential and the quality, but there is also a reality that he was not available in five of the [last] seven camps."

Former Chelsea and England attacker Joe Cole, who possessed a similarly unique skillset to Palmer, believes the club's current No.10 should be a "shoo-in" not only for the squad, but for the starting XI - even if he's not at his best.

"If it's me picking the team, Cole Palmer will be in regardless of form because he's got something special," he told Paddy Power. "He isn't a player that relies too heavily on confidence, he's got bags of that already in the way that he handles himself. It was great to see him back amongst the goals against Wolves.

"But my fear for Cole is the way that Thomas Tuchel sets up his England team. I haven't actually got a problem with it as long as you've got a clear strategy and the type of player you like. I just feel like with the number 10s we have, Tuchel is only going to start one out of Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, and Phil Foden.

"I would start with two of them and bring the other two on. That's where I fear for Cole, but if he keeps playing like he did at the weekend, he'll be a shoo-in for that starting 10 shirt, for sure."

Laying claim to a starting berth at this late stage might be a bit of a stretch, even for someone of Palmer's ability, but it's impossible to argue with the notion that he brings "something special" to the party - and he's showing he can do that even when short on fitness at club level.

Time and time again, the 23-year-old has demonstrated that he is the ultimate big-game player - be that tormenting Tottenham domestically, dismantling Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final or his unerring finish in the Euro 2024 showpiece. There are few players on the entire planet who almost guarantee some form of contribution when at their best, but Palmer is one of them, and that is a cheat code at a major tournament.

That's something that Tuchel himself has acknowledged. "When he's fit and when he has rhythm and flow, he can decide matches on club level and, for sure, on international level," he said. "We know that."

By this point, Palmer was expected to be the attacking fulcrum of the England team, but he has been denied that ascension by his recurrent injury issues. But even if he can't be the focal point from the start in every game, perhaps his role in North America can be similar to the one he served at the European Championship in Germany, where he made a huge impact off the bench - albeit he would justify far more minutes than he was afforded by Sir Gareth Southgate. And if a tie went to penalties? There is no-one you'd rather have on your side.

If he can continue in his current vein, then Palmer is undeniably a gamble worth taking - whether he's 100% fit or not.

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