Lee Carsley explains absence of breakout Aston Villa star tipped for England squad
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Lee Carsley acknowledged that it was a "challenge" to select his most recent England squad but mentioned that Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers is on the verge of receiving a call-up to the senior team after not being chosen for the matches against Greece and Finland.
At 22 years old, Rogers has been a standout player for Villa this season. He participated in the club's recent win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening. The attacking midfielder has also been a starter in all six of Villa's Premier League matches this season, where he has netted one goal and provided two assists.
Last month, Rogers was chosen to be part of England's Under-21 team, which his club manager, Unai Emery, described as unexpected. The ex-Manchester City youth player will have to keep being patient for his opportunity as Carsley revealed the new squad on Thursday.
The temporary manager has opted for a "trial" approach in team selection, even with the return of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden. Meanwhile, Morgan Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes, and Noni Madueke keep their spots after debuting in the last match.
This means players such as James Maddison, Jarrod Bowen, and Eberechi Eze were not chosen for the team. However, Rogers was expected to receive his first call-up due to his impressive performances at the beginning of the season and Carsley's openness to including new players in the squad.
Nonetheless, there are no uncapped players in the England squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against Greece and Finland. This is true even though Dominic Solanke has been selected, seven years after his only appearance for England against Brazil.
"When it comes to the level of talent we have, there are many players who were just on the edge of making this team," Carsley said in response to questions about Rogers not being chosen.
The difficulty lies in the fact that it would have been simple to put together a 40-man roster and seem to have a reason for including everyone. The real task is to select a team that is strong and capable of winning both matches.
"The players who weren't included are simply ones I wanted to evaluate further. It’s not about their performance; it's more about taking this time to try out some new options. Each of those omitted has a valid reason for being in the team, but I believe we gained an advantage from the last group feeling revitalized and fresh."
"It's not that those players didn't contribute; rather, I felt it was essential that the selection was not just a repeat of past choices. I wanted them to have genuinely earned their spot in the team. I've had meaningful discussions with the players who aren't included, and I've communicated to each of them that this decision is only temporary."
