LEE CARSLEY has opened the door to a shock international comeback for Jadon Sancho.
The interim Three Lions boss – who worked with the winger as a youth coach at Manchester City – says Sancho is ‘feeling loved’ again at Chelsea after a miserable spell under Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
Carsley has called up Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke to his squad to face Greece on Thursday and Finland the following Sunday, seven years after his only international cap.
And he could soon offer a similar recall to Sancho, who has not played for England since 2021.
Carsley said: “Jadon is a player that I really like. Jadon has huge potential and has hopefully found a home where he feels rated, he feels loved.
“He put in a really good performance the other day (against Brighton) and I think he just needs time now to play.
“I don’t ever feel in a rush, that when a player is doing well for three or four games he should be in an England squad.
“Dom has his call-up and earned the right to be called up for England with what he’s done this season and the body of work behind.
“When he’s got that call I think he’s thinking he probably deserves this.”
Sancho, who last played for England in October 2021, was frozen out by Ten Hag last season but played in a Champions League Final while on loan at Borussia Dortmund, before switching to Chelsea this summer, with a view to a permanent Stamford Bridge move.
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Kyle Walker is back in the England squad after missing last month’s Nations League matches because of a lack of game time but Harry Maguire has been axed, having not started a Premier League match since August.
Carsley said: “At the point when we picked the first squad, Kyle had not played a minute at City, so justifying bringing in a player who had not played a minute, I found really difficult.
“The conversation we had last month was that if he gets his minutes with City, there would be no reason why he can’t be an important part of the squad.”
Walker, 34, is likely to play second fiddle to Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back under Carsley, although either man could be asked to fill in at left-back, with no specialist named in the squad in that position.
As for Maguire, Carsley added: “It was a case of ‘we’ve got four centre backs that I wouldn’t mind seeing play’.
“Harry has been so important and will be in the future – but I wouldn’t want to bring a really experienced player away and not play any minutes. I don’t think it’s right.
“Harry’s still got a big part to play – if we’re going to be successful, we’re definitely going to need him.”
