England Under-21 boss Aidy Boothroyd says Ruben Loftus-Cheek is “devastated” to miss out on the Under-21 European Championship.
Loftus-Cheek is still struggling with a back problem and has not been included in England’s squad for the tournament.
Neither has Chelsea’s Izzy Brown, who helped Huddersfield win promotion to the Premier League while on loan with the Yorkshire club but is also carrying an injury.
“Ruben’s been up with us and spent some time at St George’s Park. He loves coming away with England and he’s devastated at missing out,” Boothroyd told the FA’s website.
“He’s had an ongoing issue which has been managed. We’re working hard with Chelsea and with him to get him back fit as soon as possible.
“We’re disappointed as well because he is a good player and a key player for us, but as he said to me, he’s looking forward to getting himself fit and coming back ready for our next campaign and that first qualifier against the Dutch in September.”
Chelsea’s Lewis Baker, Nathaniel Chalobah and Tammy Abraham are in the squad, as are Fulham’s Cauley Woodrow, Norwich’s Wembley-born winger Jacob Murphy and Swansea’s Hillingdon-born defender Alfie Mawson.
This post was last modified on 05/06/2017