England manager Gareth Southgate has said that axed duo Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood must rebuild trust before they are reconsidered for another international call-up.

The pair were sent home early from England duty after breaking coronavirus protocols in Iceland, amid allegations they invited girls back to their hotel room. Foden and Greenwood’s first senior call-up ended with the pair facing a possible fine from Icelandic authorities for violating the country’s regulations.

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Speaking after England drew Denmark 0-0 in the Nations League on Tuesday, Southgate admitted that the Man City and Man Utd stars had work to do before they’d be considered for a second England call.

“The consequence has been there and they now need support. Everyone is wading in on them. They need help to rebuild,” Southgate told Sky Sports.

“They need to understand the expectations of being an England player. We must help them in that process. We need to build trust and you have got to help young people back on their feet.”

Southgate said that the pair’s actions would have seen them axed from the England squad even if there were no coronavirus regulations in place.

“I’ve spoken to both of them as I said yesterday they know what happened is unacceptable on both a COVID basis and, as I’ve learned more details, on any basis. Either way, they would have gone home.”

When asked if he’d consider the duo for a recall in October, Southgate responded: “I’ll make a decision on that. A lot of trusts must be built first. My mindset is not to hurt these boys anymore. “They’re going through that with their families and friends and I don’t need to add into that.”

While Foden and Greenwood each made their England debut in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Iceland, another Premier League star, Jack Grealish, won his first England cap against Denmark on Tuesday. Grealish has backed his England team-mates to learn from their mistakes and come back stronger in the future.

“I’ve tried not to look into it too much,” Grealish told Sky Sports of the incident. “They’re young kids who will learn. It’s my first England camp myself and I’ve just focused on myself and tried to impress the manager. “They’re both brilliant kids and I’m sure they’ll learn from what they’ve done.”

Goal.com