England squad: How Jobe Bellingham and Cole Palmer compare after major Thomas Tuchel call

Thomas Tuchel’s inclusion of Jobe Bellingham in the latest England squad selection has become a talking point.

Bellingham has continued to establish himself at Borussia Dortmund, while Palmer remains one of Chelsea’s most influential attacking players. 

Although they operate in different roles and play in different leagues, their attacking numbers offer plenty of room for comparison.

FootballWhispers explores the comparison of Jobe Bellingham and Cole Palmer following their national team call-up.

Jobe Bellingham and Cole Palmer: How do they compare?

Bellingham has been rewarded with his first England senior call-up following an encouraging start to life at Borussia Dortmund.

Meanwhile, Palmer has been left out of the 25-man squad for the Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Spain.

The decision represents an important opportunity for Jobe to make his mark at the international level, particularly with his older brother Jude Bellingham already an established member of the England setup. 

Palmer, meanwhile, will have to watch from the outside after another setback in his international career, having previously missed out on the World Cup and withdrawn from the previous England camp through injury.

Looking at their club performances, Palmer has enjoyed the more productive attacking campaign so far, although the statistics also highlight some promising aspects of Bellingham's development.

The Chelsea midfielder has played 791 minutes across nine appearances, compared with Bellingham's 558 minutes in eight matches. 

That additional game time has given Palmer more opportunities to influence proceedings, and he has made considerably greater use of them in front of goal.

Palmer has registered three goals and three assists this season, giving him six direct goal contributions. 

Jobe, on the other hand, is yet to score for Dortmund but has provided two assists, also showing his attacking contribution. 

While the difference in attacking output is clear, the Dortmund midfielder has shown that he can contribute creatively even without being the primary source of goals.

Jobe Bellingham and Cole Palmer: Chelsea star holds a significant advantage in attacking output

The most noticeable difference between the two players comes in their ability to threaten opposition goalkeepers. 

Palmer has attempted 29 shots this season, more than four times Bellingham's total of seven, while also registering nine on target compared with the Dortmund midfielder's two.

That difference shows Palmer's greater involvement in Chelsea's attacking play and his willingness to take responsibility in the final third. 

His three goals also come from an expected goals figure of 3.00, suggesting that his scoring return is broadly in line with the quality of opportunities he has received.

Bellingham's figures tell a different story, with an xG of just 0.32, limiting his goal return, which is not particularly surprising, given that he has attempted only seven shots. 

His current contribution is more noticeable in other areas of the pitch than through regular attempts at goal.

There is also little between the pair when it comes to shot accuracy, with Palmer having put 31% of his attempts on target, narrowly ahead of Bellingham's 28.6%. 

However, the Chelsea star's considerably higher shooting volume makes him the more established attacking threat at this stage of the campaign.

Jobe Bellingham and Cole Palmer: Dortmund midfielder offers a different role

Although Palmer comfortably leads the shooting statistics, Bellingham has shown that he can provide value through his other ability.

The 21-year-old has recorded two assists in eight appearances for Dortmund, an encouraging return considering his relatively limited involvement in front of goal. 

Palmer still leads the comparison in this department, with three assists from nine appearances. 

However, it would be unfair to judge the Dortmund midfielder solely on his attacking numbers. His role and responsibilities are not necessarily identical to Palmer's.

Bellingham's first senior England call-up is also recognition of his wider development rather than simply a reward for his goal contributions. 

The Dortmund star can play several roles in midfield, with his height matched by his mobility and physicality, giving him the ability to cover a lot of ground.

He can also play as a holding midfielder, and he does well at intercepting passes and going into tackles.