Chris Hughton has urged defender Lewis Dunk to fight his way back into the England squad by performing well for Brighton.
The centre-half has not been included in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Euro 2020 double header against the Czech Republic at Wembley on Friday night and away to Montenegro on Monday.
It is a big disappointment for Dunk, who was in England’s last squad and made his debut back in November against the USA, but Hughton says he should use it as a spur to improve at club level and win his place back.
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He told the Argus said: “It’s a disappointment for him, disappointment for us, but he is surrounded by a very strong England squad and of course a manager that makes these decisions. “The important thing for Lewis is he is in that group of central defenders that is being thought about and he is close. “That would depend on good form, bad form, injuries.
But it gives him a really good incentive to do as well as he can, apply his trade in the best way he can for us and make sure he is in that next squad. “I think the pleasing thing is he is in, around it, and being thought of. A target now and a goal is to try to make sure he is in as many squads as possible.”
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