Round-up of Arsenal players called up for international duty
Arsenal head into the final international break of 2033 on decent form after securing consecutive victories against Sevilla and Burnley.
Several players have received call-ups to represent their nations ahead of the final qualifier fixtures for next summer’s tournament, with Seatsnet.com offering a platform for fans to purchase UEFA EURO 2024 tickets at competitive prices.
The Gunners solidified their position at the Champions League Group B summit with a comprehensive 2-0 victory over Sevilla at the Emirates Stadium.
Bukayo Saka spearheaded Mikel Arteta’s side to success, setting up Leandro Trossard to break the deadlock before showcasing his dribbling ability to seal maximum points with a second-half strike.
In the subsequent 3-1 victory over Burnley at the Emirates, Saka and Trossard combined again to snatch the lead on the stroke of half time.
Josh Brownhill levelled matters nine minutes after the restart, but goals from William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko helped the Gunners ease past the relegation-threatened Clarets.
Back-to-back 1-0 victories over Sevilla and Burnley on the eve of November’s international break have softened the blow of suffering consecutive defeats to West Ham United and Newcastle United.
Arteta’s side fell to a controversial 3-1 defeat to West Ham at the start of November, ending their Carabao Cup run in the fourth round of the tournament.
The hosts had raced to a three-goal lead on the hour mark, with Martin Odegaard’s last-gasp strike proving to be nothing more than a consolation for the Gunners.
They failed to muster a response to the deflating League Cup exit, suffering a subsequent 1-0 defeat to Newcastle in a pulsating encounter littered with controversy.
However, victories in their last two games mean Arsenal head into the break in third place, with just one point separating them from league leaders and defending champions Manchester City.
On their return to action, Arsenal will face a London derby encounter as they take a short trip to the Gtech Community Stadium to face Brentford in what should be a tricky fixture for Arteta’s side.
However, with club football hitting the pause button for the next two weeks, we have shifted our focus to the international scene, looking at the Gunners who have received call-ups to represent their respective countries.
Round-up of Arsenal players called up for international duty
Arsenal are well represented across the globe, with 17 stars receiving call-ups to represent their respective countries in the final international break of the 2023/24 season.
However, several players have missed out of international duty due to injury problems, including Gunners skipper Martin Odegaard.
The 24-year-old pulled out of the Norway squad to continue his recovery from a recent concussion and an ongoing hip issue that has sidelined him from Arsenal’s last three games on the bounce.
Odegaard was an unused substitute in the 5-0 mauling of Sheffield United but was handed a ten-minute cameo in the Carabao Cup defeat to West Ham.
He has failed to make any of Arsenal’s last three matchday squad with a hip problem, which has now ruled him out of Norway’s friendly fixture against the Faroe Islands and their final qualifier game against Scotland.
Norway face Scotland on Sunday but will do so without Odegaard, who will hope to make a full recovery with a busy Christmas schedule lined up for Arsenal after the international break.
Gabriel Jesus was also expected to withdraw from international duty with Brazil amid injury concerns. But the Selecao have decided to run tests of their own to determine the extent of his setback.
Earlier this month, Arteta claimed the ex-Manchester City striker faces weeks on the sidelines. But he could return sooner, with Brazil manager Fernando Diniz hinting he could feature for the national team.
Friday’s trip to Colombia is expected to come too soon for Jesus, but he could be named in the matchday squad when Brazil welcome Argentina to the Maracana on November 22.
The Selecao sit third in the CONMEBOL World Cup ranking, but there can be no room for complacency, considering just three points separate them from eighth-placed Chile.
Games against Colombia and the world champions will be tricky for Diniz’s side to navigate, hence the need to enlist the help of Jesus – much to Arsenal’s dismay.
The 26-year-old has not featured for the North Londoners since bagging a goal and an assist to help them secure a 2-1 victory over Sevilla at the back end of last month.
However, he will be joined in the Brazil camp by club teammates Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli who have also received call-ups to represent the Selecao.
Saka, Aaron Ramsdale and Declan Rice have all been called up to represent England for the upcoming Euro Qualifier fixtures against Malta and North Macedonia.
Although the Three Lions have already punched their ticket to the 2024 tournament in Germany, Gareth Southgate is taking nothing for granted as he aims to see out the qualifiers with his side at the summit of Group C.
Eddie Nketiah, who made last month’s 26-man squad, has not been selected due to an ankle injury picked up in Arsenal’s emphatic victory against United.
International duty has already begun for Leandro Trossard as he made a substitute appearance in Belgium’s 1-0 win over Serbia on Wednesday evening.
Belgium have already punched their ticket to Euro 2024 but will be determined to emerge from Group F as winners ahead of Ralf Rangnick-led Austria.
Jakub Kiwior has barely featured for Arsenal this season but remains a key player for the Polish national team.
He will be at the thick of things again when Poland take on the Czech Republic in an all-important three-pointer on home turf for a place in Germany.
Zinchenko and Ukraine also face a crucial final fixture against Italy in a game where nothing but victory will be enough for the Blue and Yellow nation.
Ukraine are second in Group C, three points ahead of Italy, although Luciano Spalletti’s side have a game in hand.
Zinchenko could face off with club teammate Jorginho, who has been called up to represent Italy, but the ex-Chelsea man will need to be assessed by the medical staff ahead of Monday night’s fixture.
Takehiro Tomiyasu has been called up by Japan for their World Cup 2026 qualification double-header but failed to make the matchday squad against Myanmar due to fatigue.
He should be fit enough to feature against Syria on October 21, while Mohamed Elneny featured in Egypt’s 6-0 rout over Djibouti and should make the starting XI in their subsequent trip to Sierra Leone.
William Saliba and France face Gibraltar and Greece having already booked their place in the competition, potentially as Group B winners, with six points separating them from second-placed Netherlands.
David Raya and Spain are also playing for pride, having already qualified for the Euros from Group A, but will be keen to cement their place at the summit ahead of games against Cyprus and Georgia.
Karl Hein and Estonia have already been eliminated, while Kai Havertz and Germany continue their preparation for Euro 2024 with friendly fixtures against Turkey and Austria.
