World Cup 2026: Palmer’s creativity could have broken through Ghana’s tight defence – Carragher

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has criticized England manager Thomas Tuchel for leaving Cole Palmer out of the squad, arguing that the team is missing a creative spark to dismantle Ghana in Tuesday’s FIFA World Cup 2026 match.

Tuchel omitted Palmer because of his club form and fitness. With Palmer absent, England’s substitutes lean more on physicality and stamina than on creative flair.

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Following a convincing 4-2 win over Croatia, the Three Lions sought to beat the Black Stars and secure their place in the Round of 32 as Group L champions.

Yet England struggled to breach Ghana’s well‑structured, stubborn defence, which largely stayed in a 4-1-4-1 formation and limited Tuchel’s side to few clear opportunities.

After the match, Carragher told Sky Sports that Palmer would have made a significant impact had he been part of the England squad.

“That’s England’s issue. The longer this continues, the more we’ll have to look to the bench and ask who can come on and make a difference.”

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Rice and Bellingham focus on power and energy; they are not magicians in the spaces between lines. If this pattern persists, the debate will turn to Cole Palmer’s omission. We have seen many games like this in major tournaments.

Those who advocated for Palmer’s inclusion anticipated tactical challenges such as this, which is why some of us believed it better to keep him as an option.