Adnan Januzaj has been criticised by the Belgium Under-21s coach, Enzo Scifo, for having a poor attitude after the Manchester United winger refused a call-up for a European Championship qualifier with the Czech Republic.

The 20-year-old is on a season-long loan at Borussia Dortmund but has started only two games since agreeing a move to the Bundesliga at the end of August.

His inability to hold down a first-team place led the Belgium coach, Marc Wilmots, to omit him from the full squad for the friendlies with Italy and Spain but Scifo reckoned he would be a vital addition to the Under-21s as they seek to extend their four-point lead at the top of the qualifying table from the Czechs.

“A 20-year-old player who gives this impression of non-motivation, it reflects a poor state of mind,” Scifo told La Dernière Heure in Belgium.

“I would normally speak to him, but I don’t have a good feeling about this. I’m not condemning him because he is young. He might react in six months, a year or two. I hope it won’t be too late for him.

“I dislike that a player is not motivated. The under-21s aren’t a pub team! When you’re 20, you have to be humble enough to understand that on your own. You can’t ask your dad or your agent if it’s a good choice or not.”

Januzaj apparently opted to stay in Dortmund to concentrate on trying to break into Thomas Tuchel’s team, an approach that was defended by his agent Dirk De Vriese, who said: “There is no question of a bad state of mind. This decision is part of the project, Adnan focuses on his work and we plan the rest. Do not point the finger.

“The team is doing well and is a real machine. The current Dortmund is one of the best teams in Europe. Remember that Adnan did not have pre-season with them. Dortmund gives him time to adapt and we must do the same.

“When Gundogan and Lewandowski arrived, they were there throughout the pre-season period and took six months to find their rhythm.”