Ten West Ham United players have been called up by their countries for the September international break.
With qualifiers for next winter’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar ramping up, the Hammers contingent will be heading across Europe, Africa and North & Central America in their quest to help their nations reach the finals.
The eight European players will play three games across this international window, while Saïd Benrahma plays two and Michail Antonio – on his debut call up for Jamaica – will face one game.
When and where are our Hammers in action?
The international action kicks-off on Wednesday, with Kurt Zouma’s France and Andriy Yarmolenko’s Ukraine – both in Group D of European qualification – in action, alongside Croatia with deadline day signing Nikola Vlašić.
France begin their international window with a home game against Bosnia & Herzegovina in Strasbourg, before they travel to Kiev to play Ukraine on Saturday. A home clash with Finland in Lyon, on Tuesday 7 September, concludes their triple header, while Zouma will hope to add to his nine full caps.
Yarmolenko, meanwhile, has his sights set on a century of appearances for Ukraine after their successful run to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals took his tally to 99. Ahead of their meeting with Zouma and France, Ukraine will play Kazakhstan in Nur-Sultan on Tuesday, finishing the September programme with a friendly in the Czech Republic on Wednesday 8 September. France are currently top of the group with seven points, while Ukraine are in second having drawn all three of their opening games.
In Group H, leaders Croatia – with six points from three games so far – take on second-placed Russia in Moscow. They then play Slovakia in Bratislava on Saturday, before concluding at home against Slovenia in Split on Tuesday 7 September.
Then, on Thursday, a whole host of Hammers will be in action.
Our Euro 2020 finalist Declan Rice links up with England again, as they resume their Group I campaign by visiting Budapest to take on Hungary. A Wembley meeting with Andorra follows on Sunday, before an away game with Poland in Warsaw on Wednesday 8 September. England currently sit top of their group, with maximum points from the three games they played in March.
The Hammers’ Czech trio will also take to the pitch on Thursday. Tomáš Souček, Vladimír Coufal and new loan signing Alex Král could all feature as their country pick up their Group E campaign in Ostrava against Belarus. A blockbuster tie in Belgium follows on Sunday, before the friendly against Yarmolenko’s Ukraine next Wednesday.
Pablo Fornals’ fine form over the past year has been rewarded with his first Spain call-up since since the winter of 2018, and his country have a trip to Sweden to contend with first on Thursday, before meeting Georgia in the western Spanish city of Badajoz on Sunday. They’ll then travel to Kosovo on Wednesday 8 September, hoping to extend their unbeaten start to qualifying, which sees them currently top Group B with seven points from their first three games.
Away from Europe, Benrahma’s Algeria begin the second round of Africa’s qualification programme with a double-header in this international window. They play Djibouti at home on Thursday, then take on Burkina Faso in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh on Monday 6 September. The winner of their four-team Group A, which concludes in November, will advance to the final play-off round to determine who makes it through to Qatar.
Last, but by no means least, Antonio will be hoping to win his first senior cap for Jamaica in their CONCACAF World Cup qualifier at home to Panama on Sunday.
The Reggae Boyz are aiming to qualify for their first finals since France 1998 and are in the final North & Central American round of eight teams. The top three qualify automatically, with the fourth place team heading to an inter-confederation play-off.
Jamaica do play two other games this window – in Mexico on Thursday and Costa Rica on Wednesday 8 September – but with both those countries on the UK’s red list for international travel, Antonio, alongside the other British based players in Theodore Whitmore’s squad – are not available to travel.
Where can I watch the games?
England’s three matches will all be broadcast live in the UK on ITV.
The games involving the other West Ham United players in European qualification will be available on Sky Sports, but neither Benrahma’s games or Antonio’s against Panama will be shown live in the UK.
How about our young players?
Seven of our Academy players will also be away with their countries over the next week or so, from the U21 age group down to U17.
Conor Coventry, who joined Peterborough United on loan on deadline day, will be involved in UEFA U21 Championship qualifiers with the Republic of Ireland, as they play Bosnia & Herzegovina on Friday and Luxembourg on Tuesday 7 September.
Goalkeeper Krisztián Hegyi is with Hungary U21s as they also play qualifiers for the same tournament at home to Hungary on Thursday and in San Marino on Tuesday.
Jamal Baptiste links up with England U19s for friendly matches against Italy on Thursday and Germany on Monday, while both Jacob Knighbridge and Sonny Perkins are with the Three Lions’ U18 side for a friendly against Wales on Friday.
Finally, Michael Forbes is in the Northern Ireland U19 team for a double-header of friendlies against the Faroe Islands on Wednesday and Friday, while Oliver Scarles and England U17 head to Poland for the Syrenka Cup. They will play Romania on Friday, with two other games following on Sunday and Tuesday.
