Stuart Pearce explains Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain absence

Stuart Pearce has defended his decision to not include Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the England squad for next week's match against Holland.

The Arsenal winger was expected to earn his first cap for England in the fixture but will instead play for the Under-21s against Belgium on Wednesday.

Pearce has claimed that Oxlade-Chamberlain will benefit more from getting 90 minutes with the youth side than playing a limited role for the senior side.

The interim England manager said: "I think he would suffer by not playing 90 minutes v Belgium on Wednesday.

"I could have brought him in, played him ten minutes and there would have been a scrum from the media. 'He'd bypassed the Under-21s, shouldn't ever play for the Under-21s again'.

"If we keep doing that then we will never win at that age group and galvanise a winning formula at the younger age group."

Despite Oxlade-Chamberlain missing out, Pearce has handed a first call-up to Sunderland striker Fraizer Campbell.