Blow for Nigeria: Chelsea winger Madueke selected by England for UEFA Nations League matches

Nigeria have suffered a blow in their chances of getting Chelsea winger Noni Madueke to represent the Super Eagles.

England's interim coach, Lee Carsley, has called up the Anglo-Nigerian forward for the upcoming UEFA Nations League games against the Republic of Ireland and Finland.

Madueke was born in England to a Nigerian father and has represented the England U16s, U17s, U18s and, up till most recently, the U21s under Carsley.

The talented forward played in all six games as the U21s won the UEFA European U21 championship last summer, though he didn't register any goal contribution.

Carsley, who is serving temporarily as the Three Lions coach, decided to hand the 22-year-old his maiden call-up due to his stellar form for Chelsea.

He came off the bench to score against Servette in the UEFA Conference League play-off played last week before netting a hat-trick against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League fixture played on Sunday.

Besides the former PSV Eindhoven forward, Taiwo Awoniyi's Nottingham Forest teammate Morgan Gibbs-White, Manchester United Academy product Angel Gomes and Newcastle United defender Tino Livramento have been handed their first invite.

The Three Lions will face Ireland on matchday one of the UEFA Nations League on September 7 at the Aviva Stadium before squaring up against Finland at Wembley, three days later.

Abdulkareem Abdulhamid

Photo Credit: englandfootball.com

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