Lee Carsley ‘delighted’ for Liam Delap despite England Under-21 absence | OneFootball

England Under-21s boss Lee Carsley insists he is not disappointed in Liam Delap’s decision to go to the Club World Cup with Chelsea rather than the European Under-21 Championship.

Delap made the switch to Stamford Bridge from Ipswich this week and is set to travel with the Chelsea squad to the United States for the club tournament which starts on June 14, three days after the Euros get underway.

Delap’s absence from the Young Lions squad means they miss an integral part of their forward line which could be pivotal to their success this month.

Carsley instead spoke of his delight for Delap moving up in his career to a “prestigious” club.

Speaking at a press conference at St George’s Park, he said: “I’m definitely not disappointed. I’m delighted for Liam and his family.

“It’s a brilliant thing for an English centre-forward to play in the Premier League at such a prestigious club like Chelsea.

“Hopefully, he’ll do really well there and push for the senior team. We’ll move on. We’ve moved on quite quickly.

“We’ve always known that two or three of the players could move to clubs that were playing in the Club World Cup.

“The Club World Cup hasn’t come out of the blue. We’ve been preparing for this competition for two years, knowing that the Club World Cup was always in the background.

“It’s not frustrating one bit. I definitely still see the importance of some of our players that will play in that competition. It’s a brilliant thing for them to do.”

Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham has been included in Carsley’s 23-player squad despite being linked with a move to Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund – who will also take part in the Club World Cup.

Dortmund have until June 10, when FIFA’s special transfer window for the Club World Cup will close, to complete a deal. The regular window then opens on the 16th, which could still see Bellingham move clubs while on England duty.

Once England kick off their tournament against Czech Republic on June 12, Carsley is unable to call anyone else up which could leave a hole in his side if a move happens.

Carsley added: “Jobe is an important part of our squad and will be travelling with us.

“We just have to make sure that we’re flexible, similar to what we’ve done with all of the players.

“We’re here to support them, make sure we help them as much as we can.”

Carsley also confirmed James McAtee will captain the side for this summer’s tournament.

The 22-year-old has started to break through into Manchester City’s first team and has also featured 18 times for the England Under-21s.

Carsley said: “James McAtee will captain the team. James is a very important player to the team, to the squad.

“He’s a player that’s done really well in the past, a player that I coached for a while. So enjoy working with him.”