Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi has caused a stir after once again rejecting a call-up from England's Under-21 side to continue training with his club over the international break.
It marks the third time this season that the 20-year-old has made the same decision, after turning down Lee Carsley's offer in both August and October.
Hudson-Odoi has impressed in Thomas Tuchel's first team of late, most recently providing an assist for Hakim Ziyech's winner against Malmo in the Champions League, and appears to be focused on retaining that place.
It is a decision that does not appear to have gone down particularly well in the Three Lions camp, however, with first-team manager Gareth Southgate insisting that the wiser decision would have been to accept the offer.
“He feels he would be best served staking a case for the team with Chelsea," Southgate told his press conference.
"I think he has a better chance of impressing us if he is with the Under-21s as well, frankly.”
But while his stance may have lowered his standing in the England boss's eyes, back at club level it may do him plenty of favours.
Tuchel recently admitted that he can sometimes be harsh on Hudson-Odoi, but insist that is what the player needs to fulfil his potential.
Choosing to stay and work under the German is sure to impress, especially when Tuchel has previously spoken of Hudson-Odoi's need to work hard in order to become consistently excellent in games.
“Once you do this you will have more minutes. Once you have more minutes you will maybe look back and say: ‘That was a turning point.’, " Tuchel said earlier this season.
"You need to fight for it. You need to deserve it. It must be a perfect fit in a perfect moment. Sometimes you need a bit of luck. But in the end the only person who can answer that question is Callum. And we will support him.”
Chelsea face Burnley at Stamford Bridge this weekend with Hudson-Odoi in a rich vein of form - it is likely he will once again be chosen to start on the left or right of Kai Havertz in attack.
Tuchel laid the gauntlet down to his promising prodigy: to work hard in training and fight for your place in the team.
While it may have upset Southgate and others in the England camp, by accepting the challenge, he will have impressed his club manager.
