- Manchester United have 11 players called up
- Mainoo and Maguire back in the England squad
- Several high-profile names snubbed
Manchester United will be well represented during the international break, with 11 members of Michael Carrick’s senior squad in action. That number was initially 13 until Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo withdrew from their respective nation’s squads.
Sesko and Mbeumo’s fitness has been factored into the decision to pull out of international duty. It means Slovenia will be without their potent frontman, and Cameroon will likewise miss their domineering attacker.
There are still plenty of United players the Old Trafford faithful can watch as they try to earn a place on the plane to this summer’s World Cup. Two of them will be eager to do so with England.
Manchester United Players Called Up
All eyes were on Thomas Tuchel’s squad announcement and whether Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire had made the cut. That was indeed the case, with the United pair back with the Three Lions camp.
Mainoo’s struggles under Ruben Amorim cast major doubts over his World Cup dreams. But Michael Carrick’s appointment has not only led to the 20-year-old returning to the Reds’ starting lineup but also to the England national team.
Maguire has also reclaimed a place in Tuchel’s squad, and the 33-year-old has chances of continuing his impressive international career. He and Mainoo should be in action in friendlies against Uruguay (March 27th) and Japan (March 31st).
Senne Lammens’s sensational debut season has seen him gain global recognition, including with Belgium’s national team. The 23-year-old goalkeeper could earn his second cap in friendlies against the USA (March 28th) and Mexico (April 1st) after debuting last time out in a 7-0 win over Liechtenstein.
The Belgian’s understudy, Altay Bayindir, has made Turkey’s squad for their World Cup qualifying play-off campaign. They face Romania (March 26th) in a semi-final, and the Reds’ number two is still getting the nod from his country despite his limited game time at club level.
Portugal have called upon Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot for friendlies against Mexico (March 29th) and the USA (April 1st). The pair are regular starters under Roberto Martinez, who has been linked with the United job.
There have been fitness concerns over Noussair Mazraoui as of late, but he was named in Morocco’s squad. The African nation face Ecuador (March 27th) and Paraguay (March 31st) in friendlies ahead of the World Cup.
Manuel Ugarte’s future is in major doubt at Old Trafford but that’s not the case with his national team. He will likely be a starter in friendlies against England (March 27th) and Algeria (March 31st).
Sticking with South America, Casemiro and Matheus Cunha will be representing Brazil during the international break. The United duo have an exciting friendly against France (March 26th) and another versus Croatia (April 1st).
Amad will also be in action for the Ivory Coast. They collide with South Korea (March 28th) and Scotland (March 31st) in friendlies.
| Manchester United star | Nation |
| Harry Maguire | England |
| Kobbie Mainoo | England |
| Senne Lammens | Belgium |
| Altay Bayindir | Turkey |
| Diogo Dalot | Portugal |
| Bruno Fernandes | Portugal |
| Noussair Mazraoui | Morocco |
| Manuel Ugarte | Uruguay |
| Casemiro | Brazil |
| Matheus Cunha | Brazil |
| Amad Diallo | Ivory Coast |
Who Misses Out?
Nobody was expecting Tom Heaton to make the England squad. The 39-year-old goalkeeper isn’t even in contention for game time at United.
Injured defensive duo Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez will skip the international break. Both are recovering from injuries, with De Ligt’s situation a huge concern.
The biggest name to miss out on representing his country is Luke Shaw. He is enjoying a fine season, but Tuchel has resisted recalling him, unlike Mainoo and Maguire.
Tyrell Malacia is also left out of the Netherlands’ squad and unsurprisingly. His shocking cameo appearance in the defeat to Newcastle United speaks volumes.
Mason Mount has only just returned from a spell on the sidelines and hasn’t played for England since the 2022 World Cup. He’ll be hoping he can stay fully fit and return to the Three Lions under former Chelsea manager Tuchel.
A lack of first-team opportunities is pushing Joshua Zirkzee towards the Old Trafford exit door. It also means he misses out on the Netherlands’ squad.
