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After Gareth Southgate's departure, England's interim manager Lee Carsley is reportedly planning to field Cole Palmer in defense. As per TimesSport, Carsley has identified Palmer as a potential left-back. However, the Chelsea star is not alone, as there are a few more players whom he has kept in this list to use them in that position.
In the last two international fixtures in the UEFA Nations League, Lee Carsley had deployed Levi Colwill (against Ireland) and Rico Lewis (against Finland) as the left-back. However, none of them are an out-and-out left-back. While Colwill is a centre-back, Rico Lewis is comfortable as a right-back and also as a defensive midfielder.
In order to address the left-back issue, Carsley has added Chelsea's Cole Palmer into the group of players he wants to field as a left-back.
Notably, England will be in action in the upcoming October international break. In the UEFA Nations League matches, the Three Lions will take on Greece on October 10 and Finland three days later.
Although Cole Palmer was a part of the England squad, he didn't feature in the September break. However, keeping in mind his performance for Chelsea in club football, Carsley will be eager to utilize his potential.
Is Cole Palmer a good defensive option?
Cole Palmer has been in exquisite form in the Premier League. After Chelsea started their domestic campaign with a loss to Manchester City, Palmer's heroics helped Enzo Maresca's side to register a top-notch comeback in the league. Against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he scored and assisted.
Moreover, in the fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion, he single-handedly demolished Fabian Hurzeler's side by scoring a whopping four goals. The match ended 4-2 in the favor of the Blues.
Palmer's top form up front not only for Chelsea but also for England in the Euro Cup 2024, should now be considered by Lee Carsley. Fielding him as a left-back might stop the 22-year-old from exploiting opposition defenses in the UEFA Nations League.
Moreover, Palmer has never played in a defensive role in his senior career. He has mainly been used in the midfield, as a playmaker. At times, he has been deployed on the wings, and on occasions as a centre-forward too.
Fans were heavily critical of Gareth Southgate when he brought on the Chelsea midfielder later in the games and never started him. He even came on from the bench in the final to score a goal for England.
