Four Arsenal stars called up by England as defender earns Spain promotion

Credit: Getty Images

Four Arsenal players have been selected for Thomas Tuchel’s England squad ahead of crucial friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, marking the final international break before next summer’s World Cup.

Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke have all received call-ups for the upcoming matches. However, Myles Lewis-Skelly has missed out for a second consecutive camp, with his limited game time at Arsenal working against his selection chances.

The young defender had previously been a regular fixture in England’s setup, starting five of their eight matches between March and November last year. Lewis-Skelly may yet join up with the under-21s squad, potentially alongside Tommy Setford and Ethan Nwaneri for Euro qualifiers.

Ben White remains absent from international duty, having last featured for England at the Qatar World Cup.

Mosquera earns Spain promotion

In a significant development for Arsenal’s defensive options, according to Arseblog News, Cristhian Mosquera has earned promotion from Spain’s under-21 squad to the senior team. The defender will join David Raya and Martin Zubimendi in the reigning European champions’ squad for friendlies against Serbia and Egypt.

Arsenal’s South American contingent will also be in action, with Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli selected for Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad. The pair will face William Saliba’s France and Croatia in matches played in the United States.

Kai Havertz returns to Germany’s setup for fixtures against Switzerland and Ghana, while several Arsenal players face crucial World Cup qualifying scenarios.

Play-off pressure mounts

Viktor Gyokeres will spearhead Sweden’s attack in a decisive World Cup play-off against Ukraine in Valencia. Despite making a mess of their initial qualifying campaign, Sweden earned a second chance through their Nations League performances.

Riccardo Calafiori’s Italy will take on Northern Ireland, while Christian Norgaard’s Denmark face North Macedonia in their respective play-off ties. The stakes couldn’t be higher for these nations seeking World Cup qualification.

Arsenal’s injury list means Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino will miss out on representing Norway and Spain respectively, while Kepa and Gabriel Jesus are also unavailable for international duty.

The club awaits confirmation of Netherlands, Ecuador and Belgium squads, with Jurrien Timber, Piero Hincapie and Leandro Trossard expected to feature if selected. At youth level, Max Dowman has been called up for England under-19s, while Marli Salmon will represent the under-17s.

The international break presents both opportunities and concerns for Arsenal, with key players facing demanding schedules ahead of the crucial final months of the domestic season.