**It’s a busy week for West Ham’s international stars as we enter the final international break of the season.**
Skipper Jarrod Bowen has been selected for England, as they face Uruguay and Japan in friendly matches on Friday and Tuesday respectively. This could be Bowen’s last chance to prove that he is deserving of a place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad at this year’s World Cup.
Recent hero Konstantinos Mavropanos will represent Greece once more this month. His country face Paraguay and Hungary in friendlies after failing to qualify for the World Cup play-offs. One man who will be involved in those play-offs is Tomáš Souček, whose Czechia side face Ireland in a single-legged play-off tie in Prague on Thursday night.
And as an Irish West Ham fan, it’s going to be very difficult for me to watch my country take on two of my favourite Hammers of all time in Souček and Vladimír Coufal in this high-stakes encounter.
If the Czechs win, they may face Mads Hermansen’s Denmark in the play-off final to determine who goes to the World Cup in June. The Danes face North Macedonia in the other play-off semi-final of that particular path.
Mateus Fernandes has earned his first senior call-up for Portugal. The 21-year-old has been superb this season and fully deserves inclusion in Roberto Martínez’s squad. They travel to North America to face World Cup hosts Mexico and the United States in friendly matches.
Fresh from being stripped of his AFCON winner’s medal – still a farce if you ask me – El Hadji Malick Diouf will represent Senegal as they face Peru and the Gambia in friendly matches. Like Fernandes and Bowen, his country have already qualified for the World Cup.
Despite only featuring once for the Irons so far, Keiber Lamadrid has been called up to the Venezuela national team following his debut in November. His country face Trinidad and Tobago in a friendly on Friday before travelling to Asia to face Uzbekistan.
Several West Ham youngsters have also been given the nod at national youth level. Ezra Mayers will represent England U19s, with Preston Fearon, Josh Ajala and Fin Herrick all called up to England’s U20 squad.
The final international break of the season. Let’s hope no one gets injured.