Newcastle United have several players out on international duty this month, including three England stars.
In a way, the number of players the Magpies have on international duty is a testament to the hard work Eddie Howe has put in both on and off the pitch to develop his players.
The biggest story to come out of the international break is undoubtedly Dan Burn’s England call-up and subsequent debut a few days later.
Burn scored for Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final, the Magpies’ first goal at Wembley since 2000. His first-half header coupled with Alexander Isak’s fine finish proved to be enough to see Newcastle win their first trophy since 1969 and a first domestic honour since 1955.
Anthony Gordon left the England squad due to injury, he was seen limping off following the Three Lions’ win against Albania on Friday night. The winger has time to recover thanks to his suspension and Newcastle’s lack of FA Cup football next weekend.
Elsewhere, Tino Livramento will not play for England on Monday night after it was revealed that he was taken out of the squad due to unknown reasons – Burn is still in contention to play.
In other international news, a Newcastle player who has seriously struggled for game time under Howe has yet another achievement to cheer about following the Carabao Cup win.
Photo by Carl Recine - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Photo by Carl Recine – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
This season has been immensely tough for goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos who has barely played any football since joining Newcastle last summer.
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The 30-year-old has been forced to watch Newcastle games from the bench and the stands throughout the campaign, having failed to make a single Premier League appearance. His only appearance comes in a 45-minute stint in the Carabao Cup against AFC Wimbledon at St James’ Park.
Vlachodimos nearly left Newcastle in January, with Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab eager to bring him in after failing to land Martin Dubravka.
Despite starting for Greece on multiple occasions this season, Vlachodimos was forced to watch on from the bench once again as his national side was promoted to UEFA Nations League A following a 3-1 aggregate win against Scotland. There is a chance that Vlachodimos’ lack of game time at Newcastle is now having a big impact on his minutes for the national side. Either way, he will still be celebrating their achievement.
Recent reports suggest that Vlachodimos is frustrated at Newcastle. He left Nottingham Forest after struggling to adjust to life in the Premier League but has since been unable to prove his worth to Howe.
Martin Dubravka struggles on international duty
While one Newcastle goalkeeper is celebrating a big achievement with their national side, another has been left licking their wounds.
Dubravka’s Slovakia were relegated from UEFA Nations League A following a 1-0 aggregate to Slovenia on Sunday night. The 36-year-old started in both games but could not do enough to keep his national team in the top flight of the Nations League.
Unlike Vlachodimos, Dubravka has enjoyed increased game time this season while Nick Pope was out injured, making the most of his opportunity.
Dubravka was awarded with a new deal in February as a reward for his fine form after initially looking like he was going to leave in the January transfer window.