Wales defender Connor Roberts says England trio Tammy Abraham, Ben Chilwell and Jadon Sancho “are not dumb lads” and should not be treated too harshly for breaking coronavirus rules.
Chelsea pair Abraham and Chilwell and Borussia Dortmund winger Sancho could miss England’s friendly clash with Wales on Thursday after being told to stay away from St George’s Park.
The Football Association is investigating reports that the three players attended a social gathering at the weekend, which broke coronavirus rules in England as there were more than six people in attendance.
“It’s down to them and I wouldn’t say they are dumb lads,” Swansea full-back Roberts said of the England trio’s actions.
“They know what they’ve done was wrong. In the moment they probably didn’t think of the consequences and for them it’s not turned out the best.
“I don’t think you can be too harsh on them, they made a mistake and because of who they are they get more of a backlash.
“It’s disappointing for them, but hopefully a bonus for us in the long run.”
Wales put an eight-game unbeaten run on the line at Wembley, with Ryan Giggs’ side unbeaten since June 2019.
Roberts has not played at Wembley before but is relaxed over which England player will be his direct opponent.
“I would have been up against (Raheem) Sterling, but if I’m right he’s not playing,” Roberts said.
“After him it would have been Sancho, he’s up and coming and there’s been a lot of talk about him. But I don’t think he’s playing either.
“I’ve played against good players – Perisic for Croatia, Suarez and Cavani for Uruguay. So it doesn’t bother me.
“It’s just up against another good player, trying my best and giving everything I can.
“We are missing some big players in Gaz (Gareth Bale) and Rambo (Aaron Ramsey) and Joe Allen’s been out for a little while, but we’ve got other good players in and around the squad.
“If they can produce a bit of magic and we play as a team who knows what the result will be.
“But you don’t have to have the best players, you can win games by playing as a team.”
Roberts has been a regular under Giggs since making his debut against Uruguay at the China Cup in 2018.
The boys are back 🙌— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) October 5, 2020
But the 25-year-old loves nothing more than escaping the pressures of football with a spot of carpentry.
“When I get a bit of spare time I like to do a bit of woodwork and make things,” Roberts said.
“I like to dabble in that and when I do finish playing football I’ll try and look for a carpentry apprenticeship.
“I make all sorts and at the moment I’m halfway through completing a desk for a friend. So when I get back from camp I’ll be cracking on with that.”
