Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton and new Chelsea signing Liam Delap have been left out of the England squad for the U21 European Championship.
Wharton was included in the preliminary squad after helping Palace win the FA Cup by beating Manchester City in the final.
His absence is baffling, particularly given that he offers something different to England’s midfield options.
Head coach Lee Carsley also named Delap in the preliminary squad, but he will now miss the competition due to his move to Chelsea.
The 22-year-old striker will be a part of the Blues squad for the Club World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in the United States later this month.
Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott and Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell are the only players from the previous title-winning squad who have been called up.
Carsley has named Manchester City midfielder James McAtee as the captain.
England begin their title defence when they face Czechia at the Mol Arena on June 12. They play Slovenia in their second game and round off their group campaign with a clash against Germany.
England U21 squad
Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Brighton & Hove Albion), Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Chelsea), Tommy Simkin (Stoke City).
Defenders: Charlie Cresswell (Toulouse), Ronnie Edwards (Southampton), CJ Egan-Riley (Burnley), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Brooke Norton Cuffy (Genoa), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool).
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland), Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton & Hove Albion), Tyler Morton (Liverpool), Alex Scott (Bournemouth).
Forwards: Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town), Sam Iling Jnr (Aston Villa), James McAtee (Manchester City), Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), Jonathan Rowe (Marseille), Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City).
