Foden and Sancho told to wait for England Under-21s place

Ian Watson

England Under-21s chief Aidy Boothroyd insists he will not rush Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho into his team and they must wait their turn.

The manager echoed senior boss Gareth Southgate in saying that Manchester’s City’s Foden and Borussia Dortmund’s Sancho must earn their selection.

The pair are not included in Boothroyd’s squad but Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon retains his place for the Euro 2019 qualifiers against Holland and Latvia.

Boothroyd has stayed faithful to many who helped England win the Toulon Tournament in the summer and have taken the Young Lions to the top of their qualifying group.

“There’s a clamour for these players and they are exceptional but there are also exceptional players who have got us to the place were are now,” he told Press Association Sport.

“It’s exactly the right thing. Whether they are with us in October or not that’s a different matter and there will be a few others like that but overall it’s the sensible thing to do and we’ll see what happens later on down the line.

“It has to be the right time, the right game and right competition. We won’t be reacting on a couple of good games. We’re going to do things properly.”

Chelsea’s Mason Mount, on loan at Derby, is included for the first time with Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka also handed a debut call-up.

“Mason has done very well, not only has he done a season abroad and done well but he has come into a team in the Championship and lit it up,” added Boothroyd.

The Young Lions host Holland in Norwich next Thursday and travel to Latvia for a game in Jelgava on September 11.

They are top of Group Four, five points ahead of Holland with four games remaining.

Two wins would book a place at Euro 2019 in Italy and San Marino next year.

England Under-21 squad: Gunn (Southampton), Henderson (Sheffield United, on loan from Manchester United), Woodman (Newcastle), Chilwell (Leicester), Clarke-Salter (Vitesse Arnhem, on loan from Chelsea), Fry (Middlesbrough), Kenny (Everton), Konsa (Brentford), Tomori (Derby , on loan from Chelsea), Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace), Walker-Peters (Tottenham), Cook (Bournemouth), Davies (Everton), Dowell (Everton), Mount (Derby, on loan from Chelsea), Onomah (Tottenham), Sessegnon (Fulham), Abraham (Chelsea), Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Gray (Leicester), Lookman (Everton), Maddison (Leicester), Solanke (Liverpool).