Friday 17 November 2017 23:30, UK
Antonio Conte has leapt to Danny Drinkwater’s defence after the Chelsea midfielder was criticised for turning down an England call-up.
Drinkwater, who joined Chelsea from Leicester on Deadline Day, has been hindered by a calf problem since making the switch to the Premier League champions.
He felt a twinge in training after the 1-0 win over Manchester United which led to him rejecting an England call-up for this month's friendlies with Germany and Brazil on fitness grounds.
Conte cannot fathom why Drinkwater faced a barrage of criticism and does not understand why England boss Gareth Southgate did not call him to discuss the midfielder's availability.
"It's a pity that a player had to pay for this misunderstanding," Conte said.
"Drinkwater was very honest and he doesn't deserve to be attacked from the press or from the people because he was very honest.
"In this situation every single player wants to go with the national team. We have to appreciate his behaviour and commitment.
"If someone asks me I can explain. Before, to call [up] the player, if you call the coach [you ask] 'is this player good or does he have a problem? Is he tired or not?'
"In this way you can avoid a misunderstanding because, about Drinkwater it was a misunderstanding.
"He was injured and also he wasn't really 100 per cent fit to go with the national team."
Southgate's England squad for the friendlies included Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham, on loan at Crystal Palace and Swansea, respectively.
But while the pair impressed, Conte provided something of a reality check for the pair, saying playing in friendlies is different to featuring in competitive games.
"You have to understand there are two different moments," the Italian said.
"If I call a young player during a World Cup Qualifier it means that I think this is one thing.
"If you try to call a young player during a friendly game and after you are sure you're playing the World Cup, this is another thing because you can experiment."
