We’ve made it through the international break and while the majority of us are looking forward to the return of club football this weekend – albeit a slightly unsatisfying resumption given it’s the FA Cup quarter-finals – there will be several Premier League players whose shoulders will be slumped as they journey back having enjoyed the respite playing for their respective countries provides.
These ten players have shown over the last couple of weeks through standout performances for their nations that it’s not them that’s The Problem but their clubs.
Christian Eriksen (Man Utd and Denmark)
The midfielder has an understandable Let’s See What Happens approach to life these days having beaten death and returned to the highest level (sort of) at Man Utd. He announced during the break that he’s “prepared to find something new” when his Old Trafford contract expires in the summer and claimed he “won’t travel that far” when asked whether a move to Major League Soccer was on the cards.
On the basis of his display for Denmark against Portugal – particularly in the second leg – there may well be a few Premier League clubs circling.
They lost 5-2 in the end, but Denmark were set to go through when Eriksen was substituted in the 83rd minute having scored and assisted with the game level at 2-2 and the Danes 3-2 up on aggregate after Rasmus Hojlund scored the only goal in the first leg.
Ian Maatsen (Aston Villa and Netherlands)
Ronald Koeman probably wishes he had given Maatsen the chance to take a penalty rather than Aston Villa teammate Donyell Malen, who missed the crucial fifth spot-kick to send Spain through to the Nations League semi-finals, after Maatsen scored an absolute belter on debut to level the scores at 4-4 on aggregate and send the game into extra time.
Maatsen’s Villa career has been a slow burner following his £37.5m move from Chelsea in the summer, with Unai Emery’s preference for Lucas Digne on the left of his defence limiting the Dutchman to just four Premier League starts.
The 23-year-old will hope his manager has taken note of his self-described “beautiful goal”.
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City and Belgium)
Our first thought upon hearing that De Bruyne had played 160 minutes across Belgium’s two legs against Ukraine was that Pep Guardiola won’t be too happy about it having so carefully managed his minutes this season. But that was quickly followed by a notion strengthened by his international manager’s comfort in playing him that De Bruyne is in fact perfectly fit and absolutely fine to be playing regular football, with his customary spot on the Manchester City bench this term merely a case of Guardiola not fancying him anymore.
Whether that’s down to a decrease in his physical capacity or because Guardiola is preparing for life next season without the Premier League’s greatest ever midfielder by fielding alternatives who have thus far tried and failed to replicate his absurd quality and numbers we don’t know, but we would advise the City boss to play his best player – who got his 51st and 52nd assists for his country during the break – in the race for Champions League qualification.
Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea and Argentina)
He’s been a helluva lot better for Chelsea this season than he has been previously, but it was a very low bar, and we’ve rarely seen anything approaching a performance of the quality he showed for Argentina against Brazil.
Fernandez scored and produced a sublime assist for Alexis Mac Allister in a stunning 4-1 win, after which the Argentinian press marvelled at his “near to perfect” display. The 24-year-old “dominated” the game playing as the closest midfielder to Julian Alvarez, often with his back to goal, linking the play with the sort of time on the ball only afforded to the most technically gifted footballers.
There’s never been any doubt over his technical ability, which explains the interest from both Real Madrid and Barcelona in his services, with the problem at Chelsea named Cole Palmer.
But that’s an issue easily solved by moving Palmer back out to the right, where he was brilliant last season, allowing Fernandez to play as the No.10, which may well be what Enzo Maresca was planning to do after the international break in any case with Romeo Lavia returning from injury to play alongside Moises Caicedo.
Reece James (Chelsea and England)
Lavia’s return will also mean James is ousted from central midfield and here’s hoping Maresca has the self-awareness and strength of character to admit he was wrong and Thomas Tuchel is right: James is a right-back.
And still a pretty bloody good one on the evidence of his display against Latvia. He may well have scored the glorious free-kick had he been playing in midfield, but he wouldn’t be playing in midfield for England, because he’s very clearly not a midfielder, and may well not have had the confidence to a) grab the ball to take the free-kick and b) curl and dip it past the stock-still goalkeeper with a delightful kiss off the post had he not been playing in his natural position.
He wasn’t quite 2021 Champions League run levels of dominant, but there were a couple of occasions in which he bullied opposition players off the ball, and he showed the quality of his right foot aside from the free-kick with two or three excellent deliveries into the box.
He may not be back quite yet, but he’s never going to be if Maresca refuses to play him in his position.
MORE ON REECE JAMES’ DISPLAY FOR ENGLAND ON F365
👉 Tuchel’s England taking shape but he isn’t really building a team to beat your Latvias
👉 England player ratings v Latvia: James puts nepotism claim to bed, Eze shines in place of boring Bowen
Martin Odegaard (Arsenal and Norway)
After three assists and a WhoScored rating of 9.79 in Norway’s 4-2 win over Israel, teammate Andreas Schjelderup hailed Odegaard as “one of the world’s best footballers” and when on song – as he has been more often than not for Arsenal – it’s hard to disagree.
He’s struggled for much of this season though, with his hat-trick of assists on Tuesday more than the Gunners captain has managed in his last 15 Premier League games, during which time he’s scored just once.
Odegaard and every Arsenal fan on the planet will be pointing out the key difference of him having Erling Haaland and Alexander Sorloth to provide for on international duty instead of Mikel Merino
Manuel Ugarte (Man Utd and Uruguay)
El Observador claimed Ugarte “was the one who held the most air until the end, scoring, recovering, and passing” in Uruguay’s disappointing 0-0 draw against Bolivia, insisting he lived up to his “Lion” moniker, while Montevideo Portal said Ugarte was “a little clockwork, as always” in reference to “the many balls he won back” after the sort of all-action display Man Utd hoped to see far more of following his £42m move from Paris Saint-Germain.
Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal and Ukraine)
Zinchenko had a lovely time and scored a sublime goal when handed a rare opportunity for Arsenal in the Champions League dead rubber against PSV Eindhoven not just to start but to play in midfield, where he’s typically played for his country.
And while De Bruyne was very good across both legs of their Nations League play-off, he was outshone by Zinchenko in the first leg, with the Gunners star laying on a lovely assist and generally pulling the strings for Ukraine in the middle of the park.
The 28-year-old has hinted that he will seek pastures new in the summer and it does feel like a terrible waste for him to be sitting on the bench under Mikel Arteta, who may well live to regret not giving Zinchenko more of an opportunity in midfield as he’s undoubtedly got the quality to thrive in that role.
Evan Ferguson (West Ham and Ireland)
Tipped for £100m moves to various basket case football clubs no more than a year ago, Ferguson’s career has been in something of a tailspin that’s not yet been revitalised by a January loan move to West Ham to play under confidant Graham Potter.
His goal for Ireland in the 2-1 win over Bulgaria just might though, as the 20-year-old drove at the opposition, played a one-two with Finn Azaz and then struck the ball into the roof of the net. It was a finish which belied what must presumably be his limited confidence right now.
Ben Davies (Tottenham and Wales)
A goal and an assist in the 3-1 win over Kazakhstan, which is more than he’s managed in his last 51 appearances for Tottenham.