Hector Bellerin does not agree with the decision to keep Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford out of the England national squad for the Under-21 tournament.
United manager Jose Mourinho insisted that the 19-year-old forward not be selected for the competition in Poland as he had already featured for the senior team throughout the campaign.
The United manager wanted Rashford to rest ahead of the new season.
The Arsenal full-back has been called up to represent the Spain national team for the tournament which will get underway on Friday afternoon as England take on current holders Sweden.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, the 22-year-old Spaniard revealed that he was surprised not to see Rashford involved in the tournament despite recently becoming a regular in the England senior team.
“It’s not about age,” he said.
“If Marcus Rashford is ready for England then he should play.
“Sometimes taking it slowly, taking a player through the paces is the best way to keep him wanting more.
“If you’re there from the beginning, what else can you achieve?”
Since breaking into the Manchester United first-team during the 2015-16 season, Rashford has only made one appearance for the England Under-21 team where he scored a hat-trick in a European Championship qualifier against Norway.
The forward has already made nine appearances for the senior side and he scored on his international debut in England’s 3-1 victory over Australia at the Stadium of Light last year.
Bellerin has made a total of 10 appearances for the Spanish Under-21 team and he will be involved in an international tournament at this level for the first time in his career.