Wolves stars head off on international duty
Ruben Neves heads a list of nine Wolves first-team players who are joining up with their countries during the international break.
Wolves go into the break on the back of successive home victories and with their gap to third place a handsome 13 points – with just eight games remaining.
Seven of Wolves’ international contingent are regulars in and around the first team and Nuno Espirito Santo will be praying they don’t pick up any injuries over the next 10 days.
Neves’s Portugal call-up represents a big opportunity to impress boss Fernando Santos with the World Cup in Russia just three months away.
The 21-year-old midfielder has earned only four caps for his country, but appears to have a good chance of making the plane to Russia.
Santos said recently the ex-Porto man has had an impressive season and is a viable alternative to fellow defensive midfielders William Carvalho and Danilo Pereira, with the latter currently sidelined through injury. Portugal play two friendlies at home against Egypt and the Netherlands, on Friday and Monday respectively.
Benik Afobe wasn’t an international player when he was last at Wolves but the striker has since won full honours with DR Congo, with whom he qualifies through his parents.
He will join the likes of Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie, Middlesbrough’s Britt Assombalonga and Newcastle’s Chancel Mbemba in a squad that takes on Tanzania on Tuesday.
Left wing-back Barry Douglas has enjoyed a superb season at Molineux laying on a league-high 11 assists and he’s been rewarded with a first ever call-up to the Scotland squad.
Alex McLeish’s first two games in charge are against Costa Rica and Hungary on Friday and Tuesday.
Douglas’s fellow wing-back Matt Doherty will be hoping to finally win his first cap for the Republic of Ireland when they take on Turkey on Friday.
Doherty has been involved in several squads and named on the bench, but has yet to feature for Martin O’Neill’s team.
Like Neves, Alfred N’Diaye will want to impress when Senegal take on Uzbekistan and Bosnia on Friday and Tuesday. N’Diaye isn’t a first-team regular for Senegal, who have qualified for the World Cup.
Barring injury, Romain Saiss is certain to be in the Morocco squad – and could face Neves as the two countries are both in Group B – and he could earn two more caps when Morocco play Serbia and Uzbekistan.
Three of Wolves’ young stars are also on international duty. Morgan Gibbs-White, fresh from winning the World Cup with England Under-17s, has moved up to the under-18 squad that plays Qatar (Wednesday), Argentina (Friday) and Belarus (Monday).
Ruben Vinagre faces three games with Portugal Under-19s and keeper Harry Burgoyne is at St George’s Park training with England Under-21s.
