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Mauricio Pochettino insists Chelsea and the FA have decided against Reece James joining England, rather than his captain.
England manager Gareth Southgate suggested that Chelsea right-back James had rejected a call-up because ‘he doesn’t feel quite ready yet’ after only recently returning from a hamstring injury.
Southgate also warned that the decision posed a risk ahead of Euro 2024 due to competition for the right-back position and also the fact that there is only one pre-tournament camp in March.
But Pochettino said: ‘I think it’s never the player’s decision. It’s about judging, the medical staff, the sports science and the technical staff, we always make decisions. Not the players. The players cannot judge themselves. They can sometimes feel something.
‘He desperately wants to join the national team. I think it is good for the national team to communicate with the club, to make the best decision for the player, the national team and for Chelsea.
Mauricio Pochettino claimed that both Reece James and the FA had made the decision not to include the right-back in the national team
Pochettino insisted it was the talks between Chelsea and the FA that led to James not being picked, and not the call from the Blues skipper.
Southgate warned that Chelsea captain James has taken a risk ahead of Euro 2024 by choosing not to join the Three Lions
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‘Reece is desperate to leave but it is always two parties, the national team and the club, that make the best decision for him. After all his problems, he is now starting to feel fit again.
‘I’m glad he’s joining us, because he has to go back to work in two weeks. He can definitely get the chance to be part of the national team in the future.”
James recently returned from a two-month absence with a hamstring injury, having been plagued by fitness problems for a number of seasons.