As the Premier League pauses for international breaks, fans are left wondering: How did your club’s players do on international duty? With the world’s best players temporarily trading their club colors for those of their nations, let’s dive into a comprehensive recap of how Premier League stars fared while representing their countries. From stunning goals to unfortunate injuries, here’s a breakdown of individual performances across the globe.
All 20 Premier League clubs saw their players scattered across the globe, representing a staggering 59 different nations. This international break provided a stage for some to shine, while others faced setbacks.
Arsenal
Players on international duty: 17
Sometimes, a change of scenery can do wonders. Mikel Merino, yet to score for Arsenal this season, found his scoring boots for Spain, bagging a goal in the World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria. Noni Madueke impressed in England’s World Cup qualifiers, even scoring his first ever goal for England in the 5-0 victory over Serbia., while Declan Rice also joined the scoresheet. As for Norway, Martin Odegaard was in imperious form in his side’s crushing 11-1 victory over Moldova, orchestrating two goals.
Aston Villa
Players on international duty: 11
Poland full-back Matty Cash enjoyed a productive international break, scoring a late equalizer against the Netherlands before finding the net again in a 3-1 victory over Finland. Unfortunately, his second game was cut short due to an injury. Youri Tielemans hit the net twice in Belgium’s resounding 6-0 win over Liechtenstein, adding to Villa’s international goal tally. Furthermore, Ezri Konsa celebrated his first international goal in England’s dominant 5-0 victory over Serbia.
Bournemouth
Players on international duty: 13
Antoine Semenyo, despite not replicating his Premier League form for Ghana, earned praise from coach Otto Addo. Semenyo played as the lone fighter in attack, in the 1-1 draw against Chad and 1-0 win over Mali.
Brentford
Players on international duty: 18
Dango Ouattara, Brentford’s record summer signing, showcased his talent on the international stage with two goals in Burkina Faso’s dominant 6-0 win over Djibouti. Mikkel Damsgaard also found the net in Denmark’s 3-0 victory over Greece. On the other hand, Jordan Henderson only saw minimal game time for England, featuring for just nine minutes across their two matches.
Brighton
Players on international duty: 11
Yakuba Minteh scored his sixth international goal for Gambia in their victory against Kenya. Kaoru Mitoma was rested in Japan’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of the USA, making an appearance off the bench in the last half hour. Bart Verbruggen was between the sticks in both of Netherlands’ qualifying fixtures, a 1-1 draw with Poland and 3-2 win over Lithuania. Carlos Baleba missed Cameroon’s win over Eswatini, before featuring in a 1-0 defeat by Cape Verde.
Burnley
Players on international duty: 14
Hannibal Mejbri played a crucial role in Tunisia’s successful World Cup qualification campaign, featuring in victories against Liberia and Equatorial Guinea. Martin Dubravka put in impressive performances for Slovakia, keeping clean sheets and earning player of the match awards, including in a shock 2-0 win against Germany.
Chelsea
Players on international duty: 14
Marc Cucurella scored in Spain’s routine 3-0 victory over Bulgaria, and Reece James provided the assist for Declan Rice’s goal against Andorra. Moises Caicedo was sent off for Ecuador but found a way to still see his side earn a shock 1-0 win over world champions Argentina.
Crystal Palace
Players on international duty: 12
Marc Guehi proved dependable in England’s defence across their two World Cup qualifiers, scoring and setting up Ezri Konsa’s first international goal in the 5-0 win over Serbia. Jefferson Lerma and Daniel Munoz were both central to securing Colombia’s victories.
Everton
Players on international duty: Eight
Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye were pivotal in Senegal’s dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over DR Congo. Beto came off the bench to help Guinea-Bissau keep his nation’s slim hopes of qualifying for the World Cup alive. Jordan Pickford secured successive clean sheets for England, equalling his and Gordon Banks’ joint record of seven consecutive with Pickford’s new total clean sheet figure standing at 40.
Fulham
Players on international duty: 11
Calvin Bassey scored his first international goal in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against South Africa. Raul Jimenez found the net for Mexico in a 2-2 friendly draw against South Korea. Timothy Castagne helped Belgium keep clean sheets in their 6-0 thrashings of Liechtenstein then Kazakhstan.
Leeds United
Players on international duty: Five
Dan James played the full 90 minutes of Wales’ friendly against Canada – a 1-0 defeat – before coming on as a substitute in their narrow 1-0 World Cup qualifier win over Kazakhstan.
Liverpool
Players on international duty: 21
Alexander Isak made his first appearance of the season for Sweden in their 2-0 defeat by Kosovo, while Mohamed Salah scored in Egypt’s 2-0 win over Ethiopia. Florian Wirtz netted in Germany’s 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland.
Manchester City
Players on international duty: 12
Erling Haaland led the way with five goals and two assists in Norway’s 11-1 demolition of Moldova. Unfortunately, Omar Marmoush sustained a knee injury, ruling him out of the upcoming Manchester derby. Jeremy Doku scored twice in Belgium’s 6-0 win over Kazahkstan and Bernardo Silva added his name to the scoresheet in Portugal’s win over Hungary.
Manchester United
Players on international duty: 14
Benjamin Sesko played all 180 minutes of Slovenia’s two World Cup qualifying matches – a draw against Sweden and a loss to Switzerland – registering one shot on target across the two matches.
Newcastle United
Players on international duty: 12
Yoane Wissa scored two and assisted one across his two matches for DR Congo, while Anthony Elanga found the net for Sweden in their 2-2 draw with Slovenia. Sandro Tonali scored a late winner in a dramatic 5-4 victory over Israel and Bruno Guimaraes netted in Brazil’s 3-0 win over Chile.
Nottingham Forest
Players on international duty: 13
Chris Wood scored in New Zealand’s 3-1 defeat by Australia. Nikola Milenkovic was sent off in the 72nd minute.
Sunderland
Players on international duty: 14
Granit Xhaka played all 180 minutes of Switzerland’s two dominant World Cup qualifier matches.
Tottenham Hotspur
Players on international duty: 20
Pape Sarr scored an 87th-minute winner in a dramatic 3-2 victory over DR Congo. Djed Spence made history by becoming the first Muslim to play for the senior England men’s football team, making his debut as a substitute in the 5-0 win over Serbia.
West Ham
Players on international duty: 10
Lucas Paqueta continued his good form, netting for Brazil in a 3-0 win over Chile. Jarrod Bowen came on as a substitute against Serbia but was unused against Andorra, though Czech Republic captain Tomas Soucek was a surprise omission from his country’s friendly against Saudi Arabia.
Wolves
Players on international duty: 13
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde earned two starts for Haiti. Marshall Munetsi played 90 minutes for Zimbabwe in a 1-0 win against Rwanda.
In conclusion, the international break offered a mixed bag of results for Premier League players. While some excelled and contributed significantly to their national teams, others faced challenges and setbacks. As club football resumes, fans will be eager to see how these international experiences influence their players’ performances. Analyzing How did your club’s players do on international duty helps fans appreciate the broader footballing landscape and the contributions their favorite players make on a global stage.
