English prodigy and FIFA U-17 World Cup star Jadon Sancho has left the England camp, returning to his club Borussia Dortmund, a day ahead of the Three Lions’s round of 16 clash against Japan.
The subject of much speculation going into the game, England coach Steven Cooper confirmed that the club wanted him back, as per the agreement between the club and the country ahead of the tournament.
“It is a massive disappointment for both the team and the player,” said Cooper. “Jadon is a great player and he loved the experience here in India. People enjoyed watching him play. I can only imagine that Dortmund wanted him back to play him in the first team over the weekend. I can’t see any other reason why you would want to take a player away from the world cup.”
With three goals and two assists in the group stage, Sancho was one of the tournament’s brightest sparks.
The 17-year-old had joined Borussia Dortmund on transfer deadline day from Manchester City to fill the space left by Barcelona record signing Ousmane Dembele. Though initially denied permission to play in the World Cup, Sancho was permitted only on the condition that he return to the club after the group stage.
But the coach insisted that it will not affect his team. “We look forward, not backward,” said Cooper. “We were never about just about one player. I have repeatedly said that we have 21 players who can start. There is no A team or B team for us.” Cooper had rotated his squad in the final group stage match, making seven changes to his starting lineup.
Cooper said it would be naive to call England favourites ahead of the game as the Japanese are a well-organised team. “I like how they play, they have an identity and will definitely give us a tough fight. We will have to match their level of play tomorrow,” he said.
Japan’s coach Yoshiro Moriyama admitted that his side were aware of how dangerous the England attack can be, saying that his players are prepared to judge the situation on the pitch and play accordingly.
“We want to play against their best eleven,” Moriyama said when asked about Sancho. “We have players who can challenge this strong England team and I am looking forward to taking them on.”
The England national team is famous for its vulnerabilities in penalties and that is something that will weigh heavily on the players’ minds going into the knockout stage. In FIFA U-17 World Cups, there is no extra time after 90 minutes and the teams go straight to penalties.
Cooper said that it is a part of tournament football and his players should try to change this perception of the England team. His side, he says, is relishing the opportunity to show their confidence in such situations.
