International preview

With a host of tournament qualifiers and friendlies on the agenda, it once again promises to be a busy international break for our players.

Centre-half Federico Fazio has been given his first call-up by Argentina since 2011, the defender joining Erik Lamela in his nation’s squad for friendly matches against Croatia (at West Ham United) and Portugal (at Manchester United) on Wednesday, November 12, and Tuesday, November 18.

Federico’s only previous caps for Argentina came in friendly defeats to Nigeria and Poland in June, 2011.

In Euro 2016 qualifying, some of our players have the potential to face each other as Ben Davies’ Wales travel to face a Belgium outfit that includes Nacer Chadli, Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele on Sunday, November 16.

The Belgians will warm up for that match with a home friendly against Iceland on Wednesday.

Other players involved in Euro 2016 qualifying this week include Christian Eriksen, whose Denmark side visit Serbia on Friday, November 14, before playing a friendly away to Vlad Chiriches’ Romania next Tuesday, and Vlad himself, who is with Romania for a home qualifier against Northern Ireland on Friday ahead of that friendly clash with the Danes.

Andros Townsend, meanwhile, is in the England squad for their Euro 2016 qualifier at home to Slovenia on Saturday, November 15, and subsequent friendly in Scotland next Tuesday, while goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and France face back-to-back home friendlies opposite Albania and Sweden on Friday and next Tuesday.

Emmanuel Adebayor, meanwhile, is with Togo for African Cup of Nations qualifiers at home to Guinea on Friday and away to Ghana on Wednesday, November 19.

Elsewhere, Harry Kane, Tom Carroll and Alex Pritchard are in the England Under-21 squad for friendlies at home to Portugal on Thursday, November 13, and away to France on Monday, November 17, while Kenny McEvoy is with Republic of Ireland Under-21s for friendlies in Marbella against the USA on Saturday and Russia on Monday.

Dominic Ball and England Under-20s face friendlies at home to Canada on Wednesday and away to Portugal on Monday, Harry Winks has an England Under-19 friendly at home to Italy on Friday, while Kyle Walker-Peters and Josh Onomah are with England Under-18s for back-to-back friendlies against Poland on Saturday and Monday.

Midfielder Filip Lesniak is in the Slovakia Under-19s squad for European qualifiers against Slovenia (Monday, November 10), Azerbaijan (Wednesday) and Hungary (Saturday), while defender Cameron Carter-Vickers has a USA Under-20s training camp in Marbella, during which there are friendlies against Russia (Wednesday), Ireland (Saturday) and Canada (next Tuesday).