International break – Chelsea players shine for their countries

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As the season approaches it’s conclusion, fans were able to take a break from club football and watch their national teams play on the international stage.

The 2022 World Cup qualifiers gave players the chance to prove themselves and convince their managers they deserve a place in the squad for the competition, as well as the Euros this summer.

As well as this, the Euro U21s Championship was also taking place, with England’s young lions crashing out at the group stages.

In total, 15 Chelsea players received call ups from their respective countries. Here is a breakdown on how the Blues’ representatives played over the last couple of weeks.

England and England U21s

Mason Mount, Reece James and Ben Chilwell were all given call-ups from Gareth Southgate thanks to their impressive performances in recent weeks.

They started in England’s opening game at home to San Marino last Thursday, with the trio all registering an assist in the first half. Mount and James both came off at half-time, with Chilwell playing the full 90 minutes.

James and Chilwell were both rested against Albania, with Mount starting once again. He continued his impressive form by getting himself on the scoresheet thanks to a neat finish past goalkeeper Etrit Berisha.

The Three Lions’ final game came against Poland at Wembley. Mount made a third consecutive start for his country and Chilwell returned to the starting XI. James was an unused substitute, with England eventually winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Harry Kane and Harry Maguire.

For the youngsters, Callum Hudson-Odoi was called up to represent the country in the Euro U21 Championship. He started the opening game against Switzerland and recorded England’s only shot on target during the game.

Unfortunately for the 20-year-old, his international break ended soon after as he was withdrawn from the squad due to an injury.

France

Another trio of Blues players were called up for their country, with N’Golo Kanté, Olivier Giroud and Kurt Zouma all being selected to join the French squad for their upcoming games.

Both Kanté and Giroud started for Les Bleus in their 1-1 draw at home to Ukraine, with Zouma staying on the bench for the game.

Kanté’s time for France during this international break came to an end after the game, with the midfielder picking up a minor hamstring injury.

Zouma started at centre-back for France in their 2-0 away win against Kazakhstan and Giroud failed to make an appearance off the bench.

In France’s final group game of the break both Zouma and Giroud started on the bench, with the latter making a cameo appearance with half an hour left to play.

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Germany

Chelsea stars Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Antonio Rudiger were all selected to join the Germany squad for their World Cup qualifying games. All three were deserving of a place thanks to their top performances since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel as Blues boss.

The Germans kicked off their break with a home fixture against Iceland. Havertz scored their second of the night in a 3-0 win, with Rudiger playing the full 90 and Werner coming off the bench around 10 minutes before the full-time whistle.

Havertz impressed once again as he assisted the only goal in Germany’s 1-0 win away at Romania. Once again, Rudiger played at centre-back for the duration of the game, and Werner was subbed on to replace Havertz towards the end of the match.

In their final game against North Macedonia, Havertz and Rudiger were in the starting XI for the third straight match. Werner had a longer spell on the pitch for the Germans, who eventually lost 2-1 in what was a shock result.

Denmark

Andreas Christensen joined the Danish national team for the international break.

Like Rudiger, his performances within the Chelsea defence under Tuchel have been crucial to the team’s success, earning him another call-up for his country.

Over their three games he made two appearances, playing the full 90 minutes and keeping a clean sheet in both.

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Italy

Emerson was the only player from Chelsea to receive a spot in the Italy squad as Jorginho was rested due to a recent injury.

He played for 75 minutes in their 2-0 win against Northern Ireland and made a 56 minute appearance away at Lithuania last night.

Croatia

Midfield star Mateo Kovačić joined up with his Croatian teammates during the break.

He featured in all three of their games against Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta, making him a candidate for Chelsea’s starting XI this weekend.

Morocco

Hakim Ziyech was called up by his national team for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Mauritania and Burundi.

He started both games and was substituted towards the end of the match in each.

USA

‘Captain America’ Christian Pulisic was named in the USA squad for their international friendlies.

He played just the first half in their victory over Jamaica but featured for the entire duration of their second game, scoring a penalty in a 2-1 win against Northern Ireland.

Chelsea will return to league action and host West Brom at Saturday lunchtime as they look to end their season on a high note.

With many of the players away on duty impressing for their countries, Tuchel will have a tough time deciding who to start in the fixture.

As long as the squad stays fit until the season’s conclusion Chelsea have a very good chance of securing a top four finish, as well as progressing in the FA Cup and Champions League competitions.

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