Edinson Cavani

November internationals: Who's playing and where?

Monday 09 November 2020 08:00

It’s almost time for the final international action of 2020, as Manchester United's players jet off to Europe and beyond for crunch fixtures with their countries.

Four European Championships places are still up for grabs, while the UEFA Nations League group stage is coming to a close.

There’s also World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifying to think about, so there’s plenty to look out for from a United perspective, with 16 Reds set to be involved...

OUR GUIDE TO NOVEMBER'S INTERNATIONALS

Ethan Galbraith (Northern Ireland) and Scott McTominay (Scotland) are preparing for huge Euro 2020 qualifying play-off finals, as well as Nations League fixtures.

Under-23s midfielder Galbraith has been selected in Ian Baraclough’s squad to take on Slovakia at Windsor Park, with the winner after 90 minutes (or 120 minutes and penalties, whatever it takes) progressing to next year’s delayed finals.

McTominay and Scotland, meanwhile, must overcome a talented Serbia side in Belgrade if they are to book a place in a first major tournament for over two decades.

Dean Henderson and Harry Maguire have been included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

The Three Lions take on the Republic of Ireland in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday, before closing out the Nations League campaign with games against Belgium (away) and Iceland (home) – it’s looking like England will need maximum points from those encounters to qualify for next year’s finals.

Group A3 in the Nations League looks delicately poised, with Bruno Fernandes’s Portugal and France – represented by Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial – level at the top on 10 points, with two to play.

The sides go up against each other in Lisbon on Saturday in a game which should effectively settle the group. If it’s a draw, Portugal will have the goal-difference advantage heading into their final game in Croatia, while the world champions will be looking to capitalise on any slip-ups at home to currently pointless Sweden, for whom Victor Lindelof has been selected.

Victor will not, however, be involved against Denmark due to quarantine rules.

In Group A1, Donny van de Beek and the Netherlands will be looking for six points out of six in the hope of leapfrogging Poland and Italy and securing a second consecutive final-four berth. The Oranje entertain bottom side Bosnia & Herzegovina in Amsterdam on Sunday, before a mouthwatering match-up with Poland three days later.

David De Gea will also hope to help his national side secure qualification to the final stage as Spain face Switzerland away before hosting Germany. La Roja currently sit top of the group on seven points, but the Germans and Ukraine (each on six) are breathing down their necks.

Meanwhile, in League B, Wales’ Daniel James and Dylan Levitt know that a win over the Republic of Ireland and a point versus Finland will be enough to secure promotion to the top tier.

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Two of our new faces, Alex Telles and Edinson Cavani, are scheduled to go head-to-head on Tuesday 17 November, when Uruguay play Brazil at Estadio Centenario in Montevideo. Telles’ Selecao have started their 2022 World Cup qualifying bid in solid fashion and can make it three wins from three before facing the Uruguayans, as they host Venezuela on Saturday.

La Celeste suffered a shock defeat to Ecuador without Cavani in October and will be hoping the 33-year-old can help them get their campaign back on track with a win in Colombia, four days before the crunch Brazil clash.

Eric Bailly was among Ivory Coast’s ranks when they lifted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015, and the centre-back will be hoping for a repeat for the Elephants when the tournament is next played, in 2022.

They have to qualify first, however, and that journey continues with home-and-away matches against group leaders Madagascar, on 12 and 17 November.

Phew! That’s most of the key fixtures to look for out of the way, but here’s a full schedule of the 29 senior games our players could be involved in…

WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER
Netherlands (van de Beek) v Spain (De Gea)
Portugal v Andorra (Fernandes)
France v Finland (Pogba, Martial)

THURSDAY 12 NOVEMBER
Ivory Coast (Bailly) v Madagascar
Northern Ireland (Galbraith) v Slovakia
Serbia v Scotland (McTominay)
Wales (James, Levitt) v USA
England (Maguire, Henderson) v Republic of Ireland

FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER
Colombia v Uruguay (Cavani)

SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER
Brazil (Telles) v Venezuela
Portugal (Fernandes) v France (Pogba, Martial)
Sweden (Lindelof) v Croatia
Switzerland v Spain (De Gea)

SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER
Slovakia v Scotland (McTominay)
Netherlands (van de Beek) v Bosnia & Herzegovina
Wales (James, Levitt) v Republic of Ireland
Belgium v England (Maguire, Henderson)
Austria v Northern Ireland (Galbraith)

TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER
Madagascar v Ivory Coast (Bailly)
Croatia v Portugal (Fernandes)
France (Pogba, Martial) v Sweden (Lindelof)
Spain (De Gea) v Germany
Uruguay (Cavani) v Brazil (Telles)

WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER
Poland v Netherlands (van de Beek)
England (Maguire, Henderson) v Iceland
Northern Ireland (Galbraith) v Romania
Israel v Scotland (McTominay)
Wales (James, Levitt) v Finland

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