World Cup

Which Arsenal players are on international duty this week?

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 22 March 2022

Sports Mole takes a look at which Arsenal players have been called up for international duty this month.

Arsenal should have no fewer than 18 players on senior international duty for their respective nations in March.

The core of the Gunners' England troupe in Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Ben White will all be involved in friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast, although Aaron Ramsdale has been forced to pull out due to a hip injury.

Across the channel, Marseille loanees Matteo Guendouzi and William Saliba have both been called up to the France squad for meetings with Ivory Coast and South Africa - the latter earning his first call-up following Benjamin Pavard's withdrawal.

Scotland's Kieran Tierney faces a World Cup 2022 Qualifying playoff meeting with Poland, as Cedric Soares looks set to start for Portugal against Turkey in their semi-final with Joao Cancelo suspended.

Millwall loanee Dan Ballard is set to turn out for Northern Ireland in their friendlies with Luxembourg and Hungary, while Albert Sambi Lokonga will hope to make his first start for Belgium against either the Republic of Ireland or Burkina Faso.

Granit Xhaka could don the armband at Wembley for Switzerland in their friendly with England and needs just two more appearances to reach 100 caps for his country, while Norway captain Martin Odegaard meets Slovakia and Armenia in exhibition matches.

Switzerland's Granit Xhaka pictured in October 2020 © Reuters

Two forgotten men in Alex Runarsson and Konstantinos Mavropanos round off the senior European representatives for Arsenal, with the former acting as the last line of defence for Iceland while Mavropanos turns out for Greece.

Across the pond in Africa, Ghana's Thomas Partey faces two crucial World Cup 2022 Qualifying clashes with Nigeria, while Egypt's Mohamed Elneny takes on Senegal at the same stage in a repeat of the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Nicolas Pepe will stay quite close to home as Ivory Coast do battle with England and France in friendlies, while Lucas Torreira - playing a starring role at Fiorentina - faces Peru and Venezuela in World Cup Qualifying.

Gabriel Magalhaes earned a call-up for Brazil but will now miss out owing to the imminent birth of his child, with Gabriel Martinelli set to wave the flag high for the Selecao after being called up to the squad for the first time, and one would not put it past the attacker to make his senior debut against Chile or Bolivia with Brazil already through to the World Cup.

Meanwhile, left-back Nuno Tavares has once again been called up to Portugal's Under-21 squad, while Folarin Balogun will pull on the England jersey at Under-21 level.

In terms of notable absentees, Bernd Leno has been snubbed for a Germany call-up after losing his spot to Ramsdale, while Japan's Takehiro Tomiyasu is out with a calf injury.