Gareth Southgate has explained why Mason Greenwood has not been selected as part of the latest England squad.
The England squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers was announced today, with the Three Lions set to face Andorra and Hungary.
But there was one surprise omission, with Manchester United star Greenwood not included.
Greenwood has been a regular for United this season, and he has also been called up for a number of previous England squads, but his name was nowhere to be seen on the latest list.
The same goes for Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, but England boss Gareth Southgate has offered an explanation.
He told Sky Sports: “They are players with a heavy load of games atm. We have to remember these lads are still physically growing.
“We have to be really careful how we handle them. They’ll be really exciting players for England in the future”
MORE: Solskjaer makes Lingard claim after Villarreal win
That will be reassuring news to United fans, in particular, who will feel as though Greenwood is more than deserving of a call-up.
It will be good news for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, too, with Greenwood getting time to recover after a busy start to the campaign.