Chelsea pull starlet Carney Chukwuemeka out of England’s Under-20 World Cup squad
Chelsea have reportedly decided to withdraw midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka from England’s squad for the Under-20 World Cup.
The 19-year-old has only played 36 minutes of football for the Blues, and the club don't have not much to play for in their final three matches this season as they sit 11th in the Premier League table.
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Chukwuemeka, who has recently asked to swap international allegiances, was due to be part of Ian Foster's side for the tournament in Argentina.
The Times reports he was expected to fly with the rest of his teammates to the country's capital Buenos Aires on Tuesday night.
FIFA rules state England cannot replace the midfielder because he is not injured, so the Young Lions will be a man down.
Chukwuemeka joined Chelsea from Aston Villa last summer for £18million, and has made 12 appearances this season.
The player has not been in the first-team squad since March, though, which has hindered his development, starting just twice in the Premier League.
Chelsea's 18-year-old full-back Lewis Hall has also been blocked from participating in South America following injuries to Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell.
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The Blues have three games left to play, first a trip to the Etihad Stadium taking on Manchester City on Sunday.
They then take on Manchester United at Old Trafford the following Thursday, before finishing off against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge on the final day.
Lampard's side are currently level on 43 points with 12th-placed Crystal Palace, and look likely to finish in the bottom half of the standings.