Which Swansea players will be in action this week?
New TSW contributor Josh Kilmister details who's likely to feature/has featured for their national side during this international break
European Championship Qualifiers:
Wales: Ashley Williams & Neil Taylor
Tuesday 9th - Andorra (Away)
The Swansea defensive duo will be expecting to start in a game that has been built up more because of the venue than the teams. UEFA have only in recent days deemed the 3G pitch in Andorra suitable to play on, with the ball apparently running too fast across the artificial surface.
Poland: Lukasz Fabianski
Sunday 7th - Gibraltar (Away)
Despite a solid start to the Premier League season, it is unlikely that Fabianski will push former Arsenal teammate Wojciech Szczesny (spelt right, I promise!) for a place in the starting eleven.
Iceland: Gylfi Sigurdsson
Tuesday 9th - Turkey (Home)
Gylfi has been a class act so far this season, and he’ll be hoping to carry that form onto the international stage. The Icelandic playmaker has been a part of five of the six goals we’ve scored this season; scoring one and assisting a further four.
England: Jonjo Shelvey?
Monday 8th - Switzerland (Away)
Jack Colback has withdrawn himself from the England squad with an injury. Could Shelvey be the man to replace him? (See more here - link)
African Cup of Nations Qualifiers:
Ivory Coast: Wilfried Bony
Saturday 6th - Sierra Leone (Home)
That’s right; Wilfried Bony is still a Jack! The Ivorian forward is yet to find the back of the net this season, but that’s not to say he hasn’t been impressive. Bony has been essential in our attacking and even now and again defending play, but some people don’t seem certain he can fill the boots left by Didier Drogba.
UEFA Under-21 Championship Qualifiers:
Wales: Josh Sheehan & Ryan Hedges
Friday 5th - Finland (Away) & Tuesday 9th - Lithuania (Away)
Wales are unbeaten in their last three games, but are six points behind Moldova in second place. The young Welsh team have a game in hand, but it looks like they’ll need a perfect finish if they want to qualify. Lee Lucas (on loan to Northampton) and Daniel Alfei have both withdrawn from the side with injuries.
Spain: Jordi Amat
Thursday 4th - Hungary (Away) & Tuesday 9th - Austria (Home)
Jordi Amat watched on from the bench as the next generation of Spanish football claimed a narrow 1-0 victory away at Hungary. Amat had previously picked up two yellow cards and was therefore suspended for the match. Spain have won all seven of their matches so far, scoring 23 and conceding just 5. They’ve already qualified but will obviously be looking to continue their winning streak.
England: Tom Carroll
Friday 5th - Lithuania (Away) & Tuesday 9th - Moldova (Away)
Gareth Southgate’s England side are top of their group by six points with a game in hand over second placed Moldova. They’ve already qualified, going unbeaten in eight games.
Friendlies:
Korea Republic: Sung-Yueng Ki
Friday 5th - Venezuela (Home) & Monday 8th Uruguay (Home)
It’s fair to say that the Koreans didn’t have the best of World Cup campaigns. Upon arrival home from Rio, Ki and his fellow countrymen were met by fans throwing toffee at them; yes, toffee! After that homecoming, rest assured that they will be on a mission to put the World Cup behind them.
Argentina: Frederico Fernandez
Wednesday 3rd - FT: Germany 2 – 4 Argentina
Our new Argentine defender even managed to get on the score sheet himself as an Angel Di Maria-inspired Argentina shocked World Cup winners Germany in their own back yard!
Thanks to Josh for this roundup - you can follow him on Twitter @JoshKilmister. Keep your eyes peeled for the Swans in international action over the next week! Going to any of the games? If you want to write for The Swansea Way we're always looking for new contributors. Get in touch on Twitter or by emailing scott@theswanseaway.co.uk for more information.