Manchester City whizzkid Phil Foden and Borussia Dortmund starlet Jadon Sancho were dropped for England Under-19s’ victory over Latvia for being late.

The Under-19s beat Latvia in the Elite Qualifying Round for this summer’s European Championship finals on Saturday, but Foden and Sancho were both unused substitutes.

Manager Paul Simpson’s decision not to include his two most famous players raised a number of eyebrows, but it has emerged the pair were serving a punishment.

Both 17-year-old Foden and 18-year-old Sancho had been late for a training session in the build-up to the Latvia game, and were told they would not be playing as a result.

Sancho made a surprise move to Borussia Dortmund in August credit: BORUSSIA DORTMUND

There had been calls in some quarters for Foden and Sancho to be considered by senior England manager Gareth Southgate for his current squad, having impressed at their clubs.

Foden has broken into Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad this season, making eight senior appearances, while Sancho has made six appearances for Dortmund since joining from City. They were both part of England’s Under-17 World Cup success last year.

But their Under-19 punishment shows the pair still have some learning to do and they must now work hard to get back into Simpson’s team. It is understood that Foden and Sancho will be under consideration for the Under-19s’ next game against Macedonia on Tuesday. England have already qualified for the finals of the Euros, which take place in Finland in July.