Carsley not taking personal offence to England squad withdrawals | OneFootball

England interim manager Lee Carsley said that his focus is fully on the players in his squad rather than those who chose to withdraw.

Nine players have now pulled out of the squad, most recently Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, but Carsley does not consider these dropouts a slight against his managerial credentials.

This is in stark contrast to his captain, Harry Kane, who told ITV Sport that England should come first; country before club.

Speaking ahead of a Nations League tie in Athens, Carsley said: “I think the amount of pullouts we have had in this window, historically it has been like that in the past. November is always a challenging window.

“I think the culture and environment that Gareth created has made it a really positive environment and the players that are currently here fully deserve to be here and are ready for the game tomorrow.”

Asked whether he feels the withdrawals are personally disrespectful he added: “No, not at all. November is always a challenging window with pullouts, so look at the players we have brought in. It is really a proud moment for them as well. The focus is on the players that are here, not the ones that aren’t.”

He also denied claims that clubs put pressure on their players to prioritise league campaigns over international matches often considered to be of little consequence.

“We’ve got a really good relationship with all the clubs, especially the medical departments so we are totally happy with where we are.”

He added that England had planned ahead for the withdrawals, naming a bigger squad than usual so as to work around the departing players.

“It has been quite a smooth camp. A lot of the players that aren’t here we were ready to replace them quite quickly in terms of who would come in so that wouldn’t affect too much how we would play.”

Looking ahead to the Greece match, he stated: “All of the games are challenging, getting the game plan right, getting the team right. I think we have done that, ultimately the proof will be tomorrow. It has been quite a smooth camp.”