Cole Palmer is just one of multiple Chelsea players who haven't been picked for the upcoming international break, meaning that over the next two weeks, they will have a chance to work with Xabi Alonso at Cobham, trying to get the Blues higher up the Premier League table.

Joao Pedro, Reece James, Jordan Henderson, Danny Welbeck, and Levi Colwill are the others staying home. With Pedro and James currently out injured, this gives the pair time to regain fitness and return to Xabi Alonso's side for the busy festive period ahead.

Whether they're going to be put through their paces on the grass or given some time off to rest is down to Alonso's discretion. These extra two weeks without competitive football come at a good time, especially with Chelsea's woeful record in December over the years.

For players like Joao Pedro, Moises Caicedo, and Reece James, there is not much point in risking them, especially with James due to them not having the opportunity to help England reach the knockout stages of a major competition, so can reserve their bodies and not do any extra uneeded harm to them.

The Blues take on Sunderland, with manager Regis Le Bris under pressure after only one Premier League win this season and a 2-0 Europa League loss to Dinamo Zagreb last night, as Chelsea look to solidify their top-four place ahead of the November break.

Palmer missed out on Tuchel's previous England squad in October due to a minor groin issue, meaning that he has only been part of two of Tuchel's first nine camps, but Sky Sports understood that Palmer was fully fit for selection and ready to be a part of England's squad if selected.

Just like the previous international break, it will be used to iron out existing problems, with Levi Colwill coming out saying that they would use it to "become a better team", looking at their splits between before and after the first international break of the season, in August and September, Chelsea played seven games in all competitions, winning four, drawing one and losing two.

Since the beginning of October, Xabi Alonso's side has played five games, winning three, most recently against Manchester United, but the two losses came disappointingly. Being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Liverpool on penalties and losing to Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge for the first time since April 2018 were things that could have been easily avoided.