Coming off Sunday’s win over Chelsea, we might all have a little more appetite for following the Black Cats on international duty over the next week and a half.
Almost 20 players will be suiting up for their senior or youth national teams.
Jules Ahoka may have earned Man of the Match against Chelsea, but he isn’t joining Noah Sadiki in the DR Congo senior side just yet. Ahoka and the Leopards U23s play AFCON qualifiers against Nigeria at home on Friday at 1pm and in Nigeria on 17 November at 3pm.
Sadiki
and the DR Congo senior side tackle Sierra Leone in AFCON qualifiers at home on Thursday at 4pm and away on 17 November at 4pm. DR Congo are currently first in Group E.
Jocelin Ta Bi and the Ivory Coast U23 team are also in AFCON qualifying, playing in Kenya on Wednesday at 11am and at home against Kenya on 17 November at 7pm.
Abdoullah Ba can’t get a game of any sort for Sunderland, but he’s once again in Mauritania’s AFCON qualifying squad after making his debut in the last international window. He’ll face Burkina Faso away on Friday at 4pm and at home on 16 November at 7pm.
In the UEFA Nations League, Robin Roefs’ Netherlands, who lead League A Group 2, face second-placed Greece at home on Friday at 7.45pm before visiting Germany on 16 November at 7.45pm.
Brian Brobbey was also selected for the Dutch squad but withdrew on Monday due to injury.
Northern Ireland (Trai Hume) and Austria (Kevin Danso) both top their respective League B groups heading into the final matches.
Austria will battle Ireland at home on Saturday at 7.45pm and then take on Israel on 17 November at 7.45pm. The second match will be played in Hungary.
Switzerland will be in Slovenia on Friday at 7.45pm before hosting Scotland on 16 November at 7.45pm.
Northern Ireland face hosts Ukraine on Saturday at 7.45pm before heading to Hungary on 17 November at 7.45pm. Timur Tutyerov is on Ukraine’s reserve list for the international window.
Granit Xhaka was initially called up by Switzerland, who are also first in their League B group, but he withdrew on Monday due to Sunday’s pre-match injury.
Malick Fofana did not make Belgium’s senior team this time around but was named in the U21 squad. The Red Devils are away to Germany on Friday at 5pm and Italy on 16 November at 5.15pm.
Dayann Methalie will also be playing with his nation’s U21 squad as France face Italy at home on Friday at 5.30pm and England away on 16 November at 7.30pm.
The second match could also feature goalkeeper Matty Young, on loan at Huddersfield, who earned an England U21 call-up. The Young Lions’ first match of the international window is at home against Portugal on Friday. All of the U21 matches are friendlies.
Chris Rigg and Joe Cowan were picked for England’s U20 and U18 squads, respectively.
In the U20 Elite League, England will host Czechia on Thursday at 7.30pm and then travel to Portugal for an 4pm match on 16 November.
The U18s have three friendlies, at home against the Netherlands on Wednesday at 2pm and Sweden on Sunday at 11am, before travelling to Switzerland on 16 November for a 3pm kick-off.
Another Academy of Light product, Matthew Burns was selected to the Northern Ireland U19 team for three U19 European Championship qualifiers. They’ll play at North Macedonia Wednesday at noon, and are home against Malta on Saturday at noon and Switzerland 17 November at 11am.
Wilson Isidor and Haiti will play a two-legged CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final against the United States on Saturday at 9.30pm and on 17 November at midnight. Technically, Haiti are the home team for the first match, but both games will be played in the US.
Juan Riquelme Angulo isn’t getting many looks at Sunderland, but he was called up to the Ecuador senior team, along with teammate Nilson Angulo. Ecuador have friendlies away to Costa Rica on Friday at midnight and at home against Bolivia at 11.30pm.
Omar Alderete and Paraguay will play two friendlies in Singapore, against their hosts at noon on Friday and against Japan on 17 November at 1.10pm.
