Manchester City Players on International Duty

It seems to hard to accept as a Manchester City fan but we have had to let our players go off and play International Football for 2 weeks.

As a match going Manchester City fan I tend to view the International break with a mixture of frustration and anxiety. It tends to just mean I have to wait a couple of weeks for proper football to resume and have to spend a lot of that time just hoping my team’s players don’t pick up a pointless injury in a friendly away to Burkina-Faso.

I have thought for some time I would much rather be watching Manchester City face off against a top team from a different country in a proper International League rather than suffering the bobbins we have served up by national sides.

City spend an absolute fortune on their coaching set up and have our players rigorously put their paces each week by the genius that is Pep Guardiola, only to wave these multimillion pound assets on their way for a couple of weeks to be coached by a bloke who got Middlesborough relegated.

More from Man City Square

• Rodri believes City can have even more success this season
• Grealish, Stones, and Kovacic will NOT play tomorrow
• My Manchester City UCL Group Stage predictions
• After Injury Guardiola is back in Etihad
• Phil Foden Scores Opener for England Against Scotland

Then the players traipse back from international duty having swapped trade secrets with arch enemies and reassemble 24 hours before a critical match. As a City fan I just have to tick the fixtures off and hope the players return without any serious injuries. In that way the end of the International football window is little more than a feeling of relief.

But if any of you do fancy watching International Football – and specifically the City players – I have tried to collate a little running order so you have a chance to check in on your favourite player and make sure you are wearing your lucky pants to ensure they don’t get injured!

Wednesday 9 October

England U19 v France U19 4.00 ko

Tommy Doyle and Taylor Harwood-Bellis are both in the England Squad for this match.

Germany v Argentina 7.45 ko

Ilkay Gundogan has withdrawn from the Germany squad due to what is described as a slight injury so our interest in this game is limited to watching Nicolas Otamendi. Here we will be hoping for a solid performance and no injury.

Thursday 10 October

Brazil v Senegal 1.00 ko

A friendly where both Gabriel Jesus and Ederson are likely to feature.

England U20 v Italy U20 1.00 ko

Only Ian Poveda from the Academy will feature in this game – playing for England.

Spain U21 v Germany U21 6.45 ko

Our Eric Garcia is in the Spain squad for this match and should feature.

Algeria v Congo 8.45 ko

Hoping that Riyad Mahrez is not having to line up for 90 minutes solid!

Friday 11 October

England U21 v Slovenia U21 5.00 ko

Phil Foden will get the chance to run the midfield again for England.

Portugal v Luxemburg 7.45 ko

Bernardo Silva should start for the portugese national side. Cancelo has not been called up.

Ukraine v Lithuania 7.45 ko

Oleks Zinchenko will probably line up in midfield for Ukraine.

Czech Rep v England 7.45 ko

Only Raheem Sterling is in the squad so hoping he gets to come on for 2 or 3 minutes and rests the remainder!!

Saturday 12 October

England U19 v Belgium U19 3.00 ko

Tommy Doyle and Taylor Harwood-Bellis are both in the squad.

Columbia v Chile 5.00 ko

Claudio Bravo will be in goal for Chile.

Norway v Spain 7.45 ko

Rodrigo has been called up again to the Spain squad but it will be interesting to see if he is deployed differently to how he is sused by Pep.

Sunday 13 October

Brazil v Nigeria 1.00 ko

Gabriel Jesus and Ederson are both likely to appear before then returning to Manchester!

Ecuador v Argentina 3.00 ko

Otamendi will hopefully come through this with confidence restored and in full health.

Monday 14 October

England U20 v Czech Rep U20 7.00 ko

Another chance to hopefully see something of Ian Poveda.

Bulgaria v England 7.45 ko

Hoping that Raheem gets to sit this one out!

Ukraine v Portugal 7.45 ko

Zinchenko v Bernardo!!

Tuesday 15 October

Chile v Guinea 5.00 ko

Bravo is expected to start in goal for this friendly.

Montenegro U21 v Spain U21 5.45 ko

Eric Garcia is likely to start.

Sweden v Spain 7.45 ko

Rodrigo will play again.

England U21 v Austria U21 7.45 ko

Another chance for Phil Foden to stake a claim.

Algeria v Colombia 8.00 ko

Mahrez will hopefully get to sit this friendly game out.

And that should be the end of that and we can start to focus on Crystal Palace away!