Internationals | Thirteen Wolves players away on international duty

10th November 2020

Wolves will be without the majority of their first-team squad for the next nine days with 13 players set to represent for their national teams during the upcoming international period.

It could be an international break of firsts for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, with Willy Boly, Pedro Neto and Owen Otasowie having the possibility of making their inaugural senior international bows having previously played at junior level.

Boly will link up with the Ivory Coast national team for the first time following a previous call-up in October. However, the defender was forced to wait for confirmation on his change of association request, having played for France up to under-19 level in the past.

Now opting to represent the country of his parents at senior level, Boly has been cleared for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Madagascar, both home and away on Thursday and Tuesday respectively.

Neto is one of five Wolves players, alongside Rui Patricio, Nelson Semedo, Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho in the senior Portugal squad for this week’s Nations League matches against France and Croatia, on Saturday and Tuesday, as well as a friendly with Andorra tomorrow evening.

The 20-year-old had previously represented Portugal throughout the youth categories, and scored twice for the under-21s in October against Norway, one of which was assisted by Wolves teammate Vitinha, before returning the favour later in the match.

The boys.@pedrolneto7 X @vitinha_20

🇵🇹🤝 pic.twitter.com/i5Sjg70dvA
— Wolves (@Wolves) October 9, 2020

Academy graduate Owen Otasowie has been selected for the USA men’s national team having impressed with Wolves under-23s this season, as well as being named among the substitutes in three of the last four Premier League fixtures.

A regular in training under Nuno, Otasowie – who was previously capped by the USA at under-18 level – now has the chance to show what he can do on the international stage in friendlies against Wales in Swansea on Thursday and versus Panama in Austria on Monday.

Captain Conor Coady has retained his place in the England squad following impressive performances for both club and country during the last month, being named among 13 defenders by Gareth Southgate.

England face the Republic of Ireland in a friendly on Thursday before Nations League ties with Leander Dendoncker’s Belgium and Iceland on Sunday and Wednesday respectively.

Dendoncker has once again been included in the Belgium squad, and could feature in the Red Devil’s friendly with Switzerland tomorrow.

Belgium also have a pair of home Nations League matches in Brussels which Dendoncker will be hoping to be involved in, against England on Sunday and against Denmark next Wednesday.

🇧🇪 D O N C K 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/InpHg6DN2Z
— Wolves (@Wolves) October 9, 2020

Having made his long-awaited international debut for Spain last month, Adama Traore is back among the squad for their friendly against Netherlands tomorrow, and two Nations League fixtures against Switzerland and Germany on Saturday and Tuesday.

Outside of Europe, Morocco captain Romain Saiss could face home and away African Cup of Nations qualifying matches against the Central African Republic on Friday and Tuesday, while Raul Jimenez has been selected for Mexico’s international friendlies with South Korea and Japan on Saturday and Thursday – both taking place in Austria.

Wolves also have one of their players away with their junior international side, after Vitinha was selected for Portugal under-21’s UEFA Euro U21 qualifying clashes with Belarus, Cyprus and Netherlands on Thursday, Sunday and Wednesday.

Rayan Ait-Nouri and Fabio Silva were due to be away from Compton Park this week, with Ait-Nouri withdrawing from the French under-21s for their qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Switzerland, while Silva's training camp in Lisbon with Portugal under-20s has been cancelled.

Wolves internationals November fixtures

Patricio, Semedo, Neves, Moutinho, Neto (Portugal): UEFA Nations League group stages