The international break is over! Ipswich Town had eight players representing their countries in October, with all of them earning caps over the two-week pause.
From Wembley appearances and trophy wins to crucial qualifiers and sickening injuries, here’s what they’ve been up to in the last two weeks.
Nathan Broadhead and Wes Burns could feature at next year’s European Championships (Image: PA Images)
Nathan Broadhead and Wes Burns – Wales
As expected, both Nathan Broadhead and Wes Burns were called up for Wales’ fixtures against Gibraltar and Croatia. The pair had very, very mixed fortunes.
Both started against Gibraltar at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground, but Burns was withdrawn early on with a shoulder injury, landing awkwardly after challenging Ethan Britto for the ball. He was subsequently sent back to Ipswich, where he’ll be assessed ahead of Friday’s trip to Rotherham United.
Broadhead, however, provided an assist for Ben Davies’ opener before scoring the third goal of the game in the 35th minute – cutting inside and rifling a powerful shot into the roof of the net.
His second senior international goal wasn’t enough to earn him a place in the starting lineup for Wales’ huge EURO 2024 qualifier against Croatia, but they were still able to win 2-1 thanks to a brace from Fulham’s Harry Wilson.
Broadhead came on in the final 10 minutes, shortly after Mario Pasalic’s goal, helping to see out a crucial win for Rob Page’s side, who sit second in their qualifying group on head-to-head.
The Dragons will face games against Armenia and Turkey in the next international break, knowing that they’ll need to match Croatia’s results to progress to next summer’s tournament.
Massimo Luongo and Cameron Burgess – Australia
With Cameron Burgess back in the Australia squad and Massimo Luongo re-called for the first time since 2019, all eyes were on Wembley, where the Socceroos took on England in a friendly game.
Burgess played the full 90 minutes of the match, but Luongo was an unused substitute. Graham Arnold’s side dominated much of the first half, but they were undone by a second-half strike from Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, handing the Three Lions a 1-0 win.
Luongo, however, was given his chance against New Zealand, returning to the starting lineup at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium. He played 65 minutes, helping his side to secure a 2-0 win and lift the Soccer Ashes Trophy, which returned for the first time in more than 60 years.
Both players will be hoping to be involved in next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh and Palestine, albeit that question marks remain as to whether the latter fixture will take place. After that, attentions will turn to next year’s Asian Cup, which takes place in January and February.
Dane Scarlett – England Elite League Squad (under-20’s)
Having stepped up to England’s under-21’s squad last month, it was a surprise to see Dane Scarlett named in Joe Edwards’ Elite League squad, formerly known as the under-20’s.
The Tottenham Hotspur loanee started in both games, but his side were beaten 2-0 by Romania in Bucharest and 2-1 by Portugal at Stadium MK.
Cieran Slicker – Scotland under-21’s
Cieran Slicker helped Scotland under-21’s bounce back from last month’s defeat to Spain in EURO U21 qualifying.
Scot Gemmill’s men played two matches at Fir Park in Motherwell, beating Hungary 3-1 and Malta 2-1.
Slicker played the full 90 minutes in both games, with his side now sitting third in their group behind Spain and Belgium, with a huge clash against the latter coming up in the November international break.
