England U20 head coach Ian Foster believes it’s a shame some of the young English players from top clubs are set to miss the World Cup. Carney Chukwuemeka of Chelsea is the most recent player to be ruled out for England; Frank Lampard has determined the 19-year-old won’t be allowed to leave for Argentina until after the Premier League season has concluded and England has finished the World Cup group stages.
“It was perhaps the most difficult squad I’ve ever had to name throughout my tenure here. Given that the World Cup occurs outside of the FIFA timeframe, the selection procedure is complicated and difficult. Discussions with clubs and players have been ongoing for some weeks,” England U20 head coach Ian Foster said. “The managers I’ve spoken to are aware that for these youngsters, this tournament is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Given that they are the current senior world champions, the fact that it is currently in Argentina and not Indonesia just makes it better. Simply put, it’s an amazing football atmosphere for our boys to play in.”
On Tuesday night, the England U20 team departs for Argentina without four of the 21 players Foster has chosen. His issues have been made worse by the EFL playoffs. The fact that 16 of the 24 teams advance to the knockout stages is another item working in England’s favor. It would be really disappointing if England lost at the group stage. With a team that featured Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dean Henderson, Fikayo Tomori, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Dominic Solanke, England won the U20 World Cup for the first time in 2017. The U17 men’s and women’s teams are participating in their first European Championships this summer, and the U21 men’s squad is also playing in the Euros, making it a hectic summer for England’s young teams.
“Having worked with that age group in the past, I can tell you that it’s a pretty remarkable age group. The U17s is the first competition football you encounter along the route. I’m confident that the players, staff, and coaches are eager for the task,” he added. “Then there is us and the fantastic men’s U21 tournament in Georgia and Romania. After a lengthier and more difficult qualifying campaign than we’ve ever had, spanning two seasons, I know Lee (Carsley) and the staff are eagerly anticipating it.”
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