PFA chief blasts Thomas Tuchel's Cole Palmer comments and proposes solution to 'sick' problem

Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Maheta Molango has hit back at Thomas Tuchel for criticising Cole Palmer after his withdrawal from the latest England squad.

When Palmer joined Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Tino Livramento in pulling out of international duty after experiencing a minor groin injury and discomfort, Tuchel questioned the Chelsea attacker's commitment to the national team.

"He misses too many opportunities, and I don’t blame him for it, it’s just the fact," the German said before England's 3-2 defeat to Spain. "He misses way too many camps with injuries, and I only want to rely on what I personally witness and what I see within my team. And for that, you have to be in camp.”

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PFA chief Maheta Molango hits back at Thomas Tuchel's comments on Cole Palmer

In the eyes of PFA chief Maheta Molango, Palmer is the victim of a "sick" system that expects too much from players, highlighting that the match calendar has become unsustainable and has become more of a survival of the fittest.

Speaking at the FIF Pro Performance Summit in London, Molango said: "When England see five players who need to withdraw when the single most proud moment a player has is to be called up for the national team, you just ask yourself, what's wrong with the industry?

"You see people like Cole Palmer, someone who would have played four consecutive summers in a row had he gone to the World Cup, and you wonder why is he missing?

"He's missing because he's a victim of the calendar, and that's something that needs to absolutely trigger the alarm bells."

Molango even criticised Tuchel's comments on Palmer by arguing that a relentless football schedule is a valid reason for the 24-year-old to snub playing for England due to load management.

"They [England players] love to play for England. They love to play for their national team. But unfortunately, your body puts a limit to it. You cannot cheat biology."

Ironically, Palmer's withdrawal from the Three Lions squad has come during a period when Chelsea have no European football this season, meaning his schedule is less packed than usual.

Any team competing in Europe typically plays three games in the space of seven or eight days, but the Blues have the luxury of resting their players most midweeks, and this should benefit them in the long run.

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Molango exposes 'sick' footballing schedule as injuries pile up

While Palmer was protected during this international break, other players haven't been as fortunate, with many Premier League stars picking up injuries.

Netherlands duo Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo are facing a period out of action after picking up injuries during the Netherlands 1-1 draw against Germany. Arsenal's Kai Havertz also suffered an injury problem in the same game.

Kylian Mbappe is also set for two weeks on the sidelines after suffering a hyperextension of the posterior capsule in his left knee during France's 1-0 victory over Turkey.

In response to the injury pile-up, Molango asked: "Is that really the football that we want?

"Is it the football where the people who make us dream just cannot perform? For me it's very worrying.

"What we've seen over the last few years is a system that's sick, that's ill, because it ultimately revolves around obtaining votes and power consolidation."

To combat the issue, the PFA chief has suggested a mandatory three-week summer break and a three-week "retraining" period every summer.

The Premier League's chief footballer, Rebecca Caplehorn, was supposedly supportive of this stance, but it apparently isn't feasible at present.