Chelsea's Palmer gets 1st England call up for Euro 2024 qualifiers

LONDON (AP) — Fresh from scoring a 95th-minute penalty against Manchester City on Sunday, Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer has been rewarded with an England call-up.

Palmer has been promoted from the Under-21 squad for the European Championship qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia after the withdrawals of James Maddison, Callum Wilson and Lewis Dunk.

City defender Rico Lewis and Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa have also been called up.

Palmer has been in impressive form since joining Chelsea from City for around $52 million in the offseason. He has scored four goals in 11 appearances and came back to haunt his former team on Sunday by converting a stoppage-time penalty that earned Chelsea a 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge.

“His personality and character, he is a player that arrived in the last moment and he is showing great character and performance,” Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said. “I thought before the game we needed to be careful to him to give time to improve and more experience, but he is improving every single game. I am happy for him and the team.”

England has already qualified for the Euros. Gareth Southgate’s team plays Malta on Friday and North Macedonia next Monday.

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