Carsley reveals he does have plan for England’s Bellingham-Foden-Palmer riddle as he says reputations count for nothing

IT says much about the Cole Palmer phenomenon that he has been named as England’s Player of the Year without having ever started in a competitive international.

In Thursday’s Nations League clash with Greece, Lee Carsley will finally give the Chelsea talisman his chance to shine in a meaningful match for his country after a sensational start to the new season.

Palmer’s first-half quadruple against Brighton earlier this month has raised his figures to an extraordinary 28 goals and 16 assists in 41 Premier League games for Chelsea.

Underused by both Pep Guardiola and Gareth Southgate, Palmer now has two true believers to manage him at club and international level.

Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca and Carsley — under whom Palmer won the European Under-21 Championship last year — both seem ready to build their teams around the sublime gifts of the 22-year-old Mancunian.

On and off the field, Palmer appears supremely unruffled.

As Carsley says: “Whatever you throw at Cole, he deals with it.”

That includes the England Player of the Year award after just nine caps, seven as a substitute.

Though he did deliver a goal in the Euros final defeat by Spain and assist for Ollie Watkins’ dramatic late winner in the semi-final win over Holland.

If that gong, voted for by fans, feels like a cuff around the ear for Southgate, then it is also a rare slight on Guardiola, who allowed Palmer to join Chelsea last year because he could not guarantee him regular starts at Manchester City.

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Interim boss Carsley is careful not to openly criticise Southgate but, asked about the player’s lack of starting chances, he replied: “I can’t really talk, from a seniors point of view, about what’s gone on with Cole.

“But I’ve seen the impact he has had when he’s been given the opportunity.

“He had a similar role for us in the Under-21 Euros where he built into the tournament and then started in the final.

“Cole is in a brilliant position. He has really found his feet at Chelsea, he is highly-rated, he’s getting minutes, he’s showing that he can handle the intensity of playing game after game.

“So that’s been a real plus for him and we’re getting the benefit of that.

“Because when you talk about players who are in form, the fact that he’s getting so much exposure and his numbers in terms of goals and assists is brilliant for us.

“Ultimately, he’s still a young player, he’s still got a lot of improving to do.

“Even though he’s at an incredible limit at the moment, I still think he can get better.”

Carsley spoke last week about the difficulties of trying to fit Palmer, Real Madrid Galactico Jude Bellingham and Footballer of the Year Phil Foden into the same eleven, as all of them covet the No 10 role.

That trio all missed last month’s Nations League 2-0 wins over Ireland and Finland.

And Carsley now faces a fascinating selection dilemma against the Greeks, who top the group ahead of England on goal difference.

While Foden has often started wide for club and country, Carsley — who worked with the player as a City youth coach — is adamant that his best position is in a more central role.

Carsley said: “It’s been a few years but I spent a lot of time with him at Manchester City with the Under-18s and also England Under-21s.

“Phil’s an unbelievable player, we’re very lucky to have someone with his talent and mentality.

“And we now need to make sure we put him in positions where he can really affect the opposition.

“Playing him in the wider positions, he can do it, but we’d have to change the way we play to get the best out of him.

“In central areas, Phil’s at his most effective.”

Whether Foden, Palmer and Bellingham can start together, we are unlikely to find out either at Wembley or against Finland in Helsinki on Sunday, given that all three are having their workloads managed after injuries.

But asked about this selection conundrum, Carsley said: “I’ve definitely got a plan in place.

“The beauty of this job is you get a lot of time to think.

“In between driving from game to game, you are constantly thinking about combinations and relationships.

“Those three are brilliant players but we have a squad of really exciting, talented players.

“So you have to have that feeling you’ve earned your place — rather than try and shoe-horn players into positions.

“You get diluted as a head coach if you’re picking players who are out of form, based on what they’ve done in the past.”

That sounded like a veiled criticism of Southgate at the Euros — and it’s an opinion shared by the voting public.

Just imagine how good England’s Player of the Year might be once he’s actually starting matches.