Juventus block England from selecting Samuel Iling-Junior for Under-20 World Cup
Juventus have blocked Samuel Iling-Junior’s England call-up for the Under-20 World Cup but youngsters in the English Football League play-offs could fly in late to the tournament starting this month in Argentina.
Coventry’s Callum Doyle and Brooke Norton-Cuffy will face Middlesbrough’s Aaron Ramsey in the Championship semi-final for a chance to play in the richest match in football on May 27, five days after the group stage starts for the Under-20s.
Peterborough are also in the League One play-offs and had Ronnie Edwards selected. They will fly the centre-back to South America immediately after their season is completed, which they hope will be on the evening they seal a place in the second tier.
Under-20 head coach Ian Foster and the Football Association have been speaking to clubs over agreements to allow their players to feature in the tournament, which has been moved from Indonesia. Clubs were within their rights to block their players from travelling, which was the case with Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho.
Garnacho was in the frame for Argentina’s squad and Javier Mascherano, his coach, travelled to England for talks with United, but they wanted him with his club for the FA Cup final and end of the Premier League season.
Juventus blocked England from picking Iling-Junior, who has scored for the first team of the Italian giants recently. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens will also be staying with Borussia Dortmund. But all of Foster’s English-based players have been selected. Rico Lewis at Manchester City was eligible but he has already moved up to the Under-21s.
Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi have played in the tournament in the past, but it is being played at this time of the year due to the Women’s World Cup in the summer and other international tournaments such as the Under-21 Euros.
Lewis Hall at Chelsea was not in the squad and could be needed as his club team have injured full-backs. But team-mate Carney Chukwuemeka has been selected. Brighton's Facundo Buonanotte (Argentina) and Sunderland's Edouard Michut (France) were not selected.
