NATHANIEL Chalobah is eager to impress with Burnley and retain his place in the England under 21 team ahead of next summer’s European Championships.

Clarets trio Chalobah, Danny Ings and Michael Keane are all expected to be in the England under 21 squad that takes on Portugal at Turf Moor on November 13 after playing their part in qualification for Euro 2015, which was secured last week.

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Gareth Southgate’s side will travel to the Czech Republic for the European Championships at the end of the season, bidding to banish the memories of the 2013 tournament when they lost all three matches in the group stage under previous boss Stuart Pearce.

All three Burnley players will be determined to not only be part of the Young Lions’ squad, but also to be in the starting line-up for the tournament.

“The important thing now is to keep fit, keep healthy and our chances will come,” said Chalobah, who missed the under 21s’ play-off double header against Croatia last week because of a throat injury sustained playing for Burnley’s under 21 team.

“I was gutted to miss the Croatia games because I’d played quite a lot leading up to that point but well done to Gareth and the squad, they really deserve it.

“The lads are fantastic.

“I’m looking forward to the tournament now.

“Especially after last year’s disappointment, this time when we go to the tournament we’ve got to try to improve on that, do better and maybe possibly go and win it.

“I don’t see why we can’t. We’ve been doing really well in the qualifiers.”

Chalobah - like Keane currently on loan with Burnley until January 2 - already has 19 caps for England under 21s at the age of only 19.

Although next summer’s tournament will be the last time Ings and Keane will be eligible to feature for the under 21s, Chalobah could be involved again at the next tournament in 2017.

The on-loan Chelsea star, who was born in Sierra Leone but moved to England at the age of eight, hopes to earn full international honours one day if he impresses with the under 21s.

“For any player, that would put you in a better place as a player,” he said of good performances for Southgate’s team.

“It’s that pride and honour playing for your country. Nothing ever beats that.”

Chalobah returned to action on Saturday when he featured as a substitute for Burnley against West Ham United, and says he is over the injury scare that saw him rushed to hospital after he took a boot to the throat playing for the Clarets’ under 21s.

“I just got a whack in my throat and fractured the cartilage in my throat,” he said.

“The doctor said it needed two weeks to heal with no contact, so I couldn’t be involved with the under 21s.

“But everything’s fine now. I’ve got another scan on it but I’m good to go.

“I thought we did well in the first half against West Ham and had chances.

“But West Ham obviously came out very well and got their goals quite early. It was a game where we just needed a bit of concentration.

“The goals took a lot out of us because we were doing really well.

“We kept going and got a goal back but to be fair to West Ham they just killed the game off.

“We’ve got a good group though and we’ve just to keep going.

“We’re just really unlucky at the moment.

“When the luck comes and we start getting goals, I think we’ll kick on.”