Mauricio Pochettino says it was Chelsea, not Reece James, who decided the player withdraw from England duty, with the defender "desperate" to represent his country.
The 23-year-old defender spoke to Gareth Southgate on the phone this week to confirm a desire to prioritise his fitness, amid a spate of injuries, instead of joining up with the national team.
James has taken a "risk" over his Euro 2024 chances, according to Southgate, with just one more squad to come before the tournament in Germany next summer.
And now Pochettino says Chelsea told James to pull out rather than the player coming to the decision himself.
He said: “It’s never the decision of the player in these cases; it’s about to assess. The medical, sport science and coaching staff take the decisions and not the players.
"The players can't assess themselves. They may sometimes feel something but he's desperate to go the national team.
"I think it is good the communication between the national team and club to take the best decision for both. It is not the decision of Reece, he is desperate to go, he wanted to go. But there are two parts between the national team and club to take the best decision for him.
"He is fit again and I am happy to work with him. He will have the chance to shine with the national team again.”
Raheem Sterling is less in control of his England future after again being snubbed by Southgate, having not made a squad since the World Cup a year ago. Pochettino was unwilling to comment on the matter, simply adding: "I don't want to say nothing that goes against the decision of my colleague Gareth.
"For sure, I need to respect his decision. The only way to change the situation is really working hard in your club and showing you deserve to be involved."
Regarding Chelsea selections, Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia continue to progress towards making their debuts for the club and are now training together on the grass at the Cobham training base.
Pochettino hopes the pair will be back to face Newcastle after the international break.
"We had some conversation and he [Nkunku] said to me I want to be ready for after the international break against Newcastle," he added. "I asked him yesterday [about a return for Sunday] and he said 'hmmm' and I said 'you are liar'!
"It is close and he is really well. We are happy with him. Romeo Lavia is also close. They trained today on the pitch. Hopefully with the team next week."
