Chelsea wonderkid Hudson-Odoi in shock England call-up despite Sarri only playing him for 119 mins in Premier League this season
Blues star has been a peripheral figure under Sarri this season, playing just 119 minutes of Premier League action
CALLUM HUDSON-ODOI has been called up to England's senior squad - despite never playing for the Under-21s.
The Blues star, 18, has been a peripheral figure under Maurizio Sarri, playing just 119 minutes of Premier League action - but Gareth Southgate has clearly seen enough.
Hudson-Odoi will join a hatful of young forwards, including Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Czech Republic and Montenegro.
The youngster had received his first call-up to England's Under-21s last week, having previously featured in the Under-19s - scoring twice in seven matches.
He was also a part of England's Under-17s World Cup-winning squad of 2017.
And today he was forced to make a frantic 280-mile, cross-country dash to report for senior duty, swapping Somerset for St George's Park.
But with Fabian Delph, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, John Stones and now Luke Shaw ruled out through injury, Hudson-Odoi will join one-cap Three Lions star James Ward-Prowse in earning a call-up.
FRUSTRATION AT CHELSEA
Chelsea fans have been left frustrated by Hudson-Odoi's lack of first-team action this season.
Sarri has instead opted to play veterans Pedro and Willian over him in the league this season, with Hudson-Odoi featuring almost only in cup games.
The youngster has looked to be a real talent and has terrified defences across Europe this season, despite his young age.
In fact, Hudson-Odoi has scored four and assisted two further goals in just 413 minutes of Europa League action this season.
The winger did come off the bench late on in Sunday's 2-0 loss against Everton, but wasn't given enough time to make any real impact - much to supporters' frustration.
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Now he will get his shot for England's senior crop, with the game against the Czech Republic at Wembley on Friday March 22.
The Three Lions will then travel to Montenegro for the second of their double-header on March 25.
And Under-21s chief Aidy Boothroyd doesn't see Hudson-Odoi struggling, saying: “A big smile came on his face. He is buzzing, as you can imagine.
"it will not faze him one bit. He will be absolutely fine. He has shown he can handle anything.
"I really like him. I like his self confidence, I like the way he acts. He doesn’t lack any self-confidence, which I think is brilliant."
Meanwhile, Chelsea will insist on keeping Hudson-Odoi if Eden Hazard leaves for Real Madrid.
Hudson-Odoi has attracted interest from a hatful of top clubs, with Bayern Munich stating their intent in January.