Four Chelsea players have been named in the England Under-21 squad for two upcoming international fixtures next month.
Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Conor Gallagher and Marc Guehi have all been selected by Aidy Boothroyd, for UEFA U21 European Championship qualifiers against Kosovo and Austria.
Both games for the Young Lions take place away from home, with a trip to Kosovo on Friday 4 September first up. Boothroyd’s men then travel to Austria four days later.
England currently top Group C heading into this round of qualifiers, with Kosovo in third and Austria in second but level on points with England. The Three Lions do have a game in hand over the Austrians, however.
The quartet are all graduates from our Academy, with Hudson-Odoi and James both key members of our senior squad.
Hudson-Odoi has been capped at senior level by England, but he drops down to the younger age group for these two fixtures. The winger impressed in our final game of last season, away to Bayern Munich.
James was a regular for Frank Lampard’s side in his breakthrough campaign at Stamford Bridge, impressing from right-back and he could well be in line to start for the Young Lions next month.
Gallagher and Guehi both ended last season on loan at Swansea, helping the Championship side reach the play-offs where they were narrowly defeated by Brentford over two legs.
The duo are both regulars for the England Under-21 side and will both hope to add to their cap collection by featuring for Boothroyd’s men next month.
Yesterday, fellow Academy graduates Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham were both included in Gareth Southgate’s senior England side.