England coach Gareth Southgate is focusing on rehabilitation as much as punishment for Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden.
A month after making their international debuts, the youngsters were left out of the squad on Thursday for three England matches at Wembley Stadium.
The pair were sent home from Reykjavík last month for breaching coronavirus restrictions after playing against Iceland by meeting women from outside the team’s bio-secure bubble.
Medical necessity meant Southgate could not take them to Denmark for the Nations League game. It was a coaching decision to omit them from the 30-man squad for the friendly against Wales at Wembley on Oct. 8 and Nations League matches against Belgium and Denmark.
“We have to send a message to all the players in our teams at every age level that that sort of thing isn’t how we do things with England,” Southgate said. “But then we’ve got to rehabilitate these two boys. Young people will make mistakes.”
Southgate is providing a path back into the squad next month for the 20-year-old Foden, a Manchester City midfielder, and the 19-year-old Greenwood, a Manchester United forward.
“These lads have suffered now enough,” Southgate said. “I think they need this period of reflection but that gives them the opportunity to get back on their feet with their clubs, enjoy their football again. They are both starting to play well again which is important.
“I can speak to them after this camp and it will be just be about their form then as to whether they are selected next time round.”
Harry Maguire has shown how a player can quickly regain his place in the squad after an off-field controversy.
Within hours of calling up the Manchester United captain for September games, Southgate dropped him after Maguire was found guilty in a Greek court of assaulting a police officer, swearing, resisting arrest and bribery in Mykonos. But Southgate is willing to field the defender again because Maguire is appealing against the verdict and 21-month suspended prison sentence.
“He has been our most reliable defender over the last couple of years,” Southgate said. “So it was not even a consideration that he would be in the squad or not.”
There are three new names in the squad.
Leicester midfielder Harvey Barnes, 22, and Arsenal’s versatile 19-year-old Bukayo Saka have been called up for the first time. Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been recognized for scoring eight goals in the opening five games of the season.
With Harry Kane unlikely to start all three games, 23-year-old Calvert-Lewin has a strong chance to make his debut.
“He is in a really rich vein of form,” Southgate said. “His all-round game in terms of what he gives to the team, his hold-up play, his ability to press the opposition - he is a pest to play against for defenders.”
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