Ledley King has made a prediction over whether Chelsea’s Cole Palmer will start for England at this summer’s Euro 2024 tournament.
England boss Gareth Southgate named his 26-man squad on Thursday for the upcoming major international competition.
There is two Chelsea representatives in the Three Lions group, with Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher both included.
Palmer, 22, felt like a no-brainer to make the plane for Germany after a stunning debut season in Chelsea colours. He scored 25 goals and made 15 assists in only 45 Blues appearances.
So, will the versatile attacker make England’s starting XI at the Euros?
Ledley King prediction on Chelsea star
Ledley King, the former Tottenham and England defender, says that Chelsea’s Palmer has been “exceptional” for his club this season.
However, he believes that the Blues attacker will just miss out on the England starting line-up. He expects Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka to get the nod over him on the right wing.
King told talkSPORT: “I think players that have proven themselves in tournaments before are going to get that chance to play in front regardless. I think Saka still has had a good season. Palmer has just been exceptional, but we haven’t seen him in an England shirt enough. Saka we know what he does and produces for England, that’s always going to get the nod.”
Don’t be afraid that Cole Palmer lacks experience
The Chelsea Chronicle agrees that Palmer may miss out on England’s first XI. Surely, he will still have a big role to play in the tournament, providing a lethal weapon for Southgate to use off the bench.
It’s fair to point out that Palmer does lack experience, but you can see from his first season at Chelsea he’s already a world-class talent primed for the big stage.
Whether he’s playing as a No 10 or a right-winger, Palmer will effect any match in a positive way.
He scored his first senior goal for England during Monday night’s win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, slotting home from the penalty spot. Remarkably, that was just his third cap for his country.
In comparison, Saka has 11 goals in 32 England caps, which includes tournament experience in both a World Cup and a European Championship.