The fourth International break of the 2017/2018 domestic football season is upon us, but it’s not all bad news, plenty of West Ham United’s International stars will be in action over the next seven days across four continents of the globe, let’s look at who they are and who they are going up against.
Starting on home soil, Gareth Southgate decided to call up just one of David Moyes’ squad to represent the Three Lions this break and that was, despite only playing one league game since December, goalkeeper Joe Hart.
The shot-stopper will be hoping that his International form will overshadow his uninspiring form in the league, he will get the opportunity in a friendly trip to Holland on Friday evening and the visit of Italy to Wembley next Tuesday should he be picked, of course.
Facing him in that second match will be teammate Angelo Ogbonna who has received his first call-up of the campaign to the Italian squad after some impressive displays over the last few months.
Before facing the Three Lions, the centre-back and Luigi Di Biagio’s team face Argentina at the Etihad Stadium on Friday, Ogbonna has already scored at both grounds domestically this season.
Prior to Hart and Ogbonna meeting, Ogbonna and Manuel Lanzini will go head-to-head as the playmaker got the nod for Jorge Sampaoli’s latest Argentine squad ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
After leaving Manchester, the White and Sky Blues travel to Spain to face the Spaniards in another friendly on Tuesday, next door, Joao Mario will be reuniting with his Portuguese national comrades.
Fernando Santos’ men host Egypt on Friday and then journey to do battle with the Netherlands on Monday, Mario will be hoping to find some form on the International stage.
With two more obscure nations to face in the form of Slovenia home and Luxembourg away will be Marko Arnautovic and Austria, much like Italy, Franco Foda’s men failed to make it to football’s premier tournament in the summer, those matches will be played on Friday and Tuesday respectively.
Younger talents to be a part of their nation’s squads on the continent include starlets Declan Rice and Sead Haksabanovic, who have been called-up by Martin O’Neill for Republic of Ireland and Ljubisa Tumbakovic for Montenegro respectively.
Rice will be heading to Turkey for his first taste of senior international football for a training camp and a friendly which is scheduled for Friday evening fresh from being crowned Ireland U19 Footballer of the Year.
Meanwhile, Haksabanovic is a regular for his country and they will be busy over the short period, playing Cyprus a friendly visit and then entertaining Turkey.
A little further afield in Africa, Senegal captain and Hammers midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate is just months away from leading his nation into their first World Cup since 2002.
Kouyate will switch continents this week for the Lions of Teranga’s third and fourth friendlies before the tournament, Aliou Cisse’s side play host to Uzbekistan and Bosnia & Herzegovina on Friday and Tuesday.
In the same continent, left-back Arthur Masuaku will be hooking up with the Democratic Republic of Congo this month, Florent Ibenge’s men have just one test ahead and that comes against Tanzania away from home.
Abd last but not least in North America, Mexico’s all-time leading goal scorer Javier Hernandez will be helping his nation in their preparations for Russia 2018 over the next seven days.
Juan Carlos Osorio’s team are in the United States to meet two European outfits in Iceland and Croatia, with the Internationals to be played in the early hours of Saturday and Wednesday United Kingdom time.
Those that have remained in East London with Moyes have their own friendly assignment to attend to, travelling to Dagenham & Redbridge in a fundraiser this week at the Chigwell Construction Stadium on Wednesday evening.
So, now that you’ve found out what each and every International West Ham star will be up to over the International break, want to stay in touch with how they’re getting on? Find us on Twitter @MooreThanAClub for updates and join us once again next week for International Break Review.
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