Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard, has explained the decision to withdraw Carney Chukwuemeka from the ongoing Under-20 World Cup.
We reported earlier Carney Chukwuemeka has withdrawn from the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup.
The England youth player was included in Ian Forster’s England U-20 World Cup squad.
The Young Lions jetted out of England on Tuesday for the tournament which kicked off on Saturday in Argentina without Carney Chukwuemeka.
The midfield sensation would have been key in Ian Forster’s midfield plan ahead of the tournament, having represented them at various youth levels.
Carney pulled out of the tournament with reports emerging Chelsea were behind the decision for him to drop the FIFA Youth World Cup ambition amid the club’s injury crisis in the midfield.
Frank Lampard has now finally open up on Carney Chukwuemeka’s withdrawal from the tournament.
Lampard confirmed Chelsea asked Carney to drop his U-20 World Cup ambition to stand in for the club in the remaining games of the season.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Manchester City in the Premier League, the former Derby County manager said Carney Chukwuemeka ”is a Chelsea player and there is ”injuries in that area” hence the decision to ask him to withdraw from the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Frank Lampard added, Carney Chukwuemeka’s switch to the London club was a big move and besides he is now handed a golden opportunity to prove himself after struggling to break into the team’s starting lineup.
“One of the situations with Carney is that he has come into a club, it was a big move for him and this season he hasn’t managed to get so many minutes. But hopefully, there’s an opportunity in these three games for him,” he said.
On the chances of Carney Chukwuemeka making back to the tournament after the season, Lampard said the 19-year-old can still fly to Argentina to join the Young Lions when the season is over.
“He’s our player and where we have lost players we need him to stay. Also, there’s a possibility he can join up at the end of the season if the team get through to the next stages so that might mean the best of both worlds in an ideal way.”
According to the Mirror, Carney Chukwuemeka is still liable to play for the Young Lions in the U-20 World Cup because Ian Forster will not be allowed to call for a replacement since he is not injured.
While Chelsea’s decision may be seen as a slight setback to Carney’s burgeoning international career, the decision became necessary after the Blues suffer a double injury blow in the midfield.
Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante have been reportedly ruled out of the season ahead of the club’s tough final three fixtures against Premier League Champions, Manchester City, and two top four hopefuls, Manchester United and Newcastle.
The Blues will miss Kovacic and N’Golo in the remaining three fixtures. Mason Mount is also a doubt for the remaining games despite recently returning to training after a spell on the sidelines.
Hence, Carney Chukwuemeka was expected to see out the club till the end of the season. He will join the Young Lions in Argentina at the end of the season but will miss the group stages of the tournament.
After joining the Blues from Aston Villa last summer, Carney Chukwuemeka has managed 11 appearances for the club with no goal or assist.
He has played for England U-17, U-18, U-19, and U-20 level, scoring 7 goals in all. He is on a five-year contract with Chelsea and will hope to break into the team’s lineup next season after languishing on the fringes this season.
