Sunderland currently have several players out on international duty.
Sunderland have several players out on international duty, scattered both across senior and aged levels.
Notably, Nectarios Triantis has picked up his first Australia call-up after his scintillating form for Hibernian, whilst Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg were unsurprisingly handed recalls to the England set-up for their respective age groups.
Eliezer Mayenda was also rewarded for his fine form recently, getting the opportunity to brush shoulders with Real Madrid and Barcelona’s finest Spanish talent in the nation’s U21 side.
We took a look at how each Sunderland player representing their nation has fared so far…
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Chris Mepham – Wales
Wales have played one game so far in the international break, which was a home clash at the Principality Stadium against Kazakhstan. The Welsh notched an expected 3-1 victory, but Chris Mepham was an unused substitute for his nation, with it more likely that he will be utilised for their trip to North Macedonia.
Trai Hume – Northern Ireland
Trai Hume’s Northern Ireland faced a tricky task as they welcomed Switzerland to Windsor Park, where they came out with a respectable 1-1 draw. The Sunderland full-back notched a full 90 minutes of action for his nation, putting in a brilliant performance to diminish the threat of Swiss left-winger Ruben Vargas, who was hooked in the 59th minute after struggling against Hume.
Hume was also praised following his interactions with fans after the game. The Black Cats man will be back in action on Tuesday evening as they face a trip to Sweden.
Jobe Bellingham – England Under 21s
England U21s faced a trip to France, where they lost 5-3 as Hugo Ekiteke bagged a hat-trick for the French. Jobe Bellingham’s involvement was somewhat limited, starting the game on the bench. He was given the last 17 minutes by Lee Carsley, but he was unable to make an impact on the game.
Chris Rigg – England Under 19s
Chris Rigg has been involved in two games so far in the international break, with a win against Wales coming first. The Sunderland youngster played a limited part in that clash, coming on for just the final 23 minutes of action. He did, however, start in the 0-0 draw with Turkey, where he was shipped out wide. Ultimately, the scoreline reflects Rigg’s fairly minimal contribution, and he was brought off after 76 minutes.
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Eliezer Mayenda – Spain Under-21s
Spain U21s have played one game so far in this international break, against the Czech Republic, where the game ended 2-2. Mayenda was named on the bench, with several La Liga stars ahead of him in the pecking order, but he was handed a runout for the final 15. He will next be in action on Tuesday night away against Germany.
Nectarios Triantis – Australia
After receiving his first Australia call-up, Triantis was unfortunately not involved in the squad that faced off against Indonesia in a 5-1 win. They will next face off against China on Tuesday, where he will hopefully be handed his first cap.
Matty Young – England Men’s Elite
Matty Young was picked as England Men’s Elite’s No1 shot-stopper for their clash with Portugal, which ended 1-1. Young was unable to keep out an effort by Leeds United’s Diogo Monteiro, but remained solid throughout the rest of the game, putting in a top effort.