The NFF have been handed a lifeline over their pursuit of young Chelsea defender, Fikayo Tomori after England manager Gareth Southgate failed to utilise him in their European Championship qualifier versus Montenegro on Thursday evening.

Tomori, 21 was on the radar of the Nigerian higher-ups prior to his call-ups to play for England, and could have become cap-tied for life to the Three Lions if he played even for a minute in the big win at Wembley.

The dual-eligible defender was an unused substitute in each of England's last two qualification games before yesterday's meeting with Montenegro, and he watched on yet again for the entirety of the game, with Joe Gomez, James Maddison and Tammy Abraham coming off the bench as Southgate rang the changes.

Thus, he is clearly behind all of Michael Keane, Tyrone Mings, John Stones and Harry Maguire in the pecking order of defenders for England.

His international limbo could however, change by Sunday 17th when the Three Lions play Kosovo in a dead rubber, having scaled through the series as group winners, and Southgate could give most of his first team players some rest then.

Anglo-Nigerian striker Abraham who became cap-tied to England on October 11th opened his senior international goal account in the 7-0 victory over The Brave Falcons.