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There are just over three weeks until the World Cup gets underway, but several big questions remain over the England squad. Many of the nation's biggest names, including the likes of Harry Kane, Jordan Pickford, Marc Guehi and Declan Rice, are virtually guaranteed a spot on the plane. For others, there will be a nervous wait to find out whether or not they have done enough to make the cut.

Cole Palmer's exploits after joining Chelsea made him a shoo-in for the Euros squad two years ago, although he didn't exactly play a starring role under Gareth Southgate. Fast forward to now and his inclusion for the World Cup is far from certain, with his form having dropped off a cliff this season. He has been a shadow of his former self with nine Premier League goals and only one assist.

In his first two seasons at Chelsea, the 24-year-old registered 45 goals and 29 assists as he established himself as one of the league's most feared attackers.

However, things can change quickly in football and that has been painfully apparent as of late. Palmer hasn't scored a goal for the Blues in over two months, with his last strike coming against Aston Villa in early March.

He hasn't been able to recapture his prolific form of old after dealing with injuries, leading to questions over whether he truly deserves a place in the World Cup squad.

Palmer was nowhere to be seen in the FA Cup final as Chelsea were narrowly beaten by Manchester City. Such a flat performance on such a big stage doesn't exactly suggest that he will be a game-changer for England at football's grandest tournament.

However, others would argue that Palmer has the ability to run the show when he is at his brilliant best. He scored in the Euros final two years ago and provided an extra edge when he was brought off the bench in the knockout stages.

There is no denying that a fully-firing Palmer is among the country's best attacking midfielders, but whether or not Thomas Tuchel trusts him enough to deliver under pressure at the World Cup remains to be seen.

Ultimately, he must pick the players he believes will give England the best chance of winning the tournament for the first time since 1966.

It will be up to Tuchel alone to make a call on whether Palmer is up for that challenge. In any case, whatever he decides will certainly be a talking point when the final squad is announced later this month.

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