Premier League uncapped XI features Chelsea £78.5m pair and Man Utd kid | OneFootball

One Premier League player is in our team of the season but is yet to be capped by his club, while Chelsea have a pair of expensive, uncapped youngsters.

While these guys rip it up in World Cup qualifying, some Premier League players are yet to get going…

Goalkeeper: Robin Roefs (Sunderland, not Netherlands)

He’s in our Premier League team of the season so far, but he’s behind Bart Verbruggen (and probably Mark Flekken) with the Netherlands, though his move to – and outstanding subsequent form in – the Premier League did at least earn him a first call-up in September. He’s been sat on the bench ever since.

Right-back: Michael Kayode (Brentford, not Italy)

Yes, he of the long throw and the being really quite excellent for Brentford. He has been extensively capped by his country at Under-18, Under-19 and Under-21 level but remains uncapped for actual Italy, which might be a blessing considering the absolute sh*t-show going on there.

Centre-back: Sven Botman (Newcastle United, not Netherlands)

It’s really quite astonishing that Botman remains uncapped while his lofty Newcastle United teammate Dan Burn is merrily collecting England caps. But Botman faces some very, very tough Premier League competition in Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven, Nathan Ake, Jan Paul van Hecke and Matthijs de Ligt.

Centre-back: Leny Yoro (Manchester United, not France)

Another centre-half that would absolutely have a little hatful of caps (should you keep a collection of hats in another hat?) if he were English, but Yoro is French and they are spoiled at centre-half even beyond Dayot Upamencano, William Saliba and Ibrahima Konate. He’s roughly 25 injuries away from a call-up.

Left-back: Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham, not England)

We’re old enough to remember when Ryan Sessegnon was definitely going to be England’s left-back for over a decade. He was not. But there is still a chance after he re-established himself as Fulham’s first-choice left-back. And England do have a left-back problem. And this uncapped XI had a left-back problem because Rico Henry went and played nine minutes for Jamaica.

Central midfield: Nico Gonzalez (Manchester City, not England)

Very, very expensive for an uncapped player but City paid a January tax on Nico, who had represented Spain at every level bar the big one. He did not make himself indispensable in his first few months in England but he has proved to be a very valuable member of the City squad, starting and scoring in a dominant performance as they battered Liverpool 3-0.

Central midfield: Alex Scott (Bournemouth, not England)

“He had an excellent Euros and won the title, Lee [Carsley] was full of praise and he did an excellent job in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who is now a regular starter for us. He was very impressive and then he took another step and has become a very regular starter for Bournemouth.

“They are in the top third of the league, overperforming constantly, and he is a starter for them. He puts the intensity in and gets his minutes, so we thought this was the perfect time to reward him, get to know him and see what he can bring to our team.”

The words of Thomas Tuchel when calling up Scott for the first time. It’s astonishing that Anderson was in this uncapped XI as recently as June.

There was A Clamour in March but Tuchel resisted, with Nwaneri fast-tracked into the England Under-21 set-up instead, and he is now firmly established in Lee Carsley’s starting XI. Unfortunately, Arsenal minutes are a little harder to come by after serious summer investment and he has found himself in the Carabao Cup team with Myles Lewis-Skelly. He could yet play for England but it feels a long way away now.

Attacking midfield: Harvey Elliott (Aston Villa, not England)

A move away from Liverpool was supposed to bring more minutes and a greater chance of an England call-up, but Elliott has struggled to understand Unai Emery’s quite specific tactics at Villa and remains very much on the fringes there. Thankfully, there is so little competition for England in the No. 10 role, that he should walk straight in when he’s ready…

Left wing: Jamie Gittens (Chelsea, not England)

He’s yet to log a Premier League goal or assist but he has at least established himself as one of four or five wide options at Chelsea, with the Carabao Cup win over Wolves providing something of a breakthrough moment. And he is absolutely part of Carsley’s England Under-21 plans, which might mean that he is at least in Tuchel’s peripheral vision.

Striker: Liam Delap (Chelsea, not England)

With Tuchel teasing that he will likely take one out-and-out striker to understudy Harry Kane, it could be a straight race over the next six months. And at least Delap is now fit to take his place in the blocks. If Jean-Philippe Mateta can get capped (and score) for France, then Delap can do it for England. Even Eddie Nketiah has an England cap, FFS.