LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 24: Tammy Abraham of Chelsea celebrates with team mates Christian Pulisic (L) and Hakim Ziyech (R) of Chelsea after scoring their side's second goalduring The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Luton Town at Stamford Bridge on January 24, 2021 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
The last international break of the season is upon us as Chelsea players shed their club attires and don their nation’s strips. A lot will be at stake for several nations and their stars as important games are set to be played across next week. There are the European qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and AFCON qualifiers for the 2022 edition.
With so many countries set to play almost three games each, a whole host of top players will be in action. Chelsea will also have numerous stars playing for their nations as we take a closer look at who all are in action.
(Note – Only first-team players currently at the club have been included)
Mateo Kovacic is the sole representative from Chelsea as he will want to emulate the performances produced in 2018 to help Croatia qualify for the World Cup. They will be up against Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta over the next week.
Youngster Andreas Christensen will be hoping to continue his solid performances now for his nation. He is also the lone representative from Chelsea for Denmark. The Danes begin their campaign against Israel before moving on to Moldova and Austria.
Three Chelsea stars are a part of the England side as they get the qualifications underway. Full-backs Reece James and Ben Chilwell along with the ever-lively Mason Mount will be hoping to give their best when England take on San Marino, Albania and Poland.
Olivier Giroud, N’Golo Kante and Kurt Zouma have all been called up by Didier Deschamps as France take the first step to defend their crown. Their opponents will be Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
The new duo of Chelsea, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, have made it to the German squad along with a resurgent Antonio Rudiger. They will be facing Iceland, Romania and North Macedonia.
With Jorginho out injured, Emerson Palmieri will be the only Chelsea representative for Italy. The Azzurri will start their campaign against Northern Ireland before playing Bulgaria and Lithuania.
New boy Hakim Ziyech will be a part of his nation’s AFCON qualifiers. Morocco have two vital games against Mauritania and Burundi as they still need a point to ensure qualification from their group.
The USMNT have no competitive fixtures to play but they do have two friendlies scheduled. Christian Pulisic is likely to take the field against Jamaica and Northern Ireland, with the games set to be played in Europe.
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