Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has backed striker Tammy Abraham and left-back Ben Chilwell after both broke coronavirus rules to attend a party.
Along with Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, the pair were among a group of more than six people who gathered to celebrate the Chelsea forward’s 23rd birthday prior to England’s international fixture with Wales, which both subsequently missed.
Of the trio, only Sancho featured in the Nations League victory against Belgium or the 1-0 defeat to Denmark.
Lampard has attempted to shield the pair from criticism, accepting that they made “mistakes” amid escalating fears that the Covid-19 crisis is again starting to spiral out of control in the UK.
“We've lived in this bubble for quite a long time now, and we have to make sure we stay on point with that at the training ground,” the manager told the media.
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“The players also have a responsibility, as do the public, to follow the rules that we are being told, albeit there isn't always massive clarity in them, but that's not an excuse for the lads.
“They've made mistakes, I've reminded them of their responsibilities. From the conversation I've had with them, they were innocent mistakes, but they understood their mistakes. We move on and I hope and I expect that it won't happen again.”
England boss Gareth Southgate, although willing to recall all three to the bubble after they tested negative for coronavirus, did not have such a soft touch with his message.
“At the beginning of the week we had a good meeting with the and spoke about the responsibility of being an England player and how the spotlight is different,” he said last week.
“I have also talked about the connection of the fans and we have 10 with us who were in Russia, they have done good work with their clubs, communities but some of the young ones have not done that and they need to prove themselves.
“They need to remember it is an honour to play for England. We have all made errors, I had nights out as player but we are living in unique times with Covid.”
Chelsea face Southampton on Sunday as they return to Premier League action.