All Sunderland Players On International Break Amid Granit Xhaka Saga and Enzo Le Fee Snub

Sunderland have a plethora of players departing Wearside during the ongoing international break as several Black Cats fly the flag for their national sides.

Regis Le Bris’ squad headed into the September-October international break following a dramatic three-game run, encompassing Premier League clashes and their Europa League bow.

Before the break, Sunderland suffered defeats to top flight powerhouses Arsenal and Manchester City despite some heroic performances against the trophy-hopefuls, with their historic Europa League win over Eredivisie high-flyers AZ Alkmaar coming in between those losses.

As a result, Le Bris’ side sit 14th in the Premier League table after the first five games, but captain Granit Xhaka is adamant Sunderland will pick up points following the break.

Unfortunately for the Sunderland skipper, he has been withdrawn from the Swiss national squad for their four clashes, with Xhaka under investigation for allegedly using a fake COVID-19 vaccine certificate in 2022.

Additionally, Sunderland star Enzo Le Fee was surprisingly snubbed from Zinedine Zidane's UEFA Nations League squad despite his outstanding form in the red-and-white stripes at the start of the season, after reports suggested that the playmaker was set to be called up by the former Real Madrid boss.

Therefore, neither Le Fee nor Swiss veteran Xhaka will be linking up with their compatriots during the break, but a handful of their Sunderland teammates will be doing so over the three-week break.

Northern Ireland defensive duo Dan Ballard and Trai Hume have been called up their national side, who face Georgia,Hungary and Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League.

Dutch duo Brian Brobbey, who got off the mark for the season with a hat-trick at Man City before the break, and goalkeeper Robin Roefs have been called up to the Netherlands squad for their UEFA Nations League outings versus Germany, Serbia, and Greece.

Sunderland new boy Juan Riquelme Angulo and his compatriot Nilson Angulo are part of the Ecuador senior squad who will face South Korea and Japan in two international friendlies.

Sunderland centre-back Omar Alderete, who has struggled for fitness at the start of the season, will link up with his compatriots for clashes against Bolivia and Paraguay during the break.

Black Cats midfielder Noah Sadiki will feature for DR Congo as his national side take on Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe in African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Summer signing Jules Ahoka, who was outstanding on his Sunderland debut against Hull City in the Carabao Cup win earlier in September, will link up with DR Congo’s under-23s side for African Cup of Nations under-23 qualifying matches against the Mauritania under-23s side.

If his exciting performances continue in the early stages of his Sunderland career, it will only be a matter of time before Ahoka and Sadiki line up alongside each other in midfield for both club and country.

Tottenham Hotspur loanee Kevin Danso, who has enjoyed an impressive start to his Sunderland career, will join up with the Austrian national side for multiple UEFA Nations League clashes against Israel, Kosovo and Ireland.

£30.8m deadline-day signing Malick Fofana will also feature in the UEFA Nations League, with his Belgian side set to face Italy, France and Turkey during the break, with Fofana’s Sunderland teammate Thomas Meunier surprisingly snubbed from the Belgium squad.

Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor shone for Haiti at the World Cup with a stunning goal against Morocco, and the Black Cats fan-favourite will be hoping for similar form in his nation’s Concacaf Nations League clashes against Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.

Sunderland number two shot-stopper Melker Ellborg is a member of the Sweden squad in contention to face Romania, Poland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina within their UEFA Nations League run of fixtures.

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Sunderland starlet Chris Rigg has been called up to the Three Lions’ under-20s squad, with the teenage midfield sensation set to feature against some difficult opponents.

Rigg and his England under-20s side will face the under-20s of Italy, France and Germany during the international break.

As well as Rigg, summer signing Dayann Methalie will represent his national youth side, with the French starlet set to feature against the under-21s outfits of Iceland, Estonia, Luxembourg, and Switzerland in the break.

Methalie made his Premier League debut for Sunderland against Man City and struggled in the early stages, with his foul resulting in Enzo Fernandez scoring a stunning free-kick for the opener.

However, the 20-year-old grew into the game against one of the best attacking sides in the division, breeding promise as his Black Cats career begins.

 Finally, Sunderland outcast Abdoullah Ba, who failed to land a move away from the Stadium of Light during the transfer window, will get some much-needed minutes for his Mauritania national side against the Central African Republic and Benin during the African Cup of Nations qualifying rounds.