The Nordderby is done and dusted and so now it is time for the international break. While some Werder players used Sunday to recover after the draw against HSV, some Green-Whites are making their way to meet up with their national sides, with whom they will want to secure qualification for various international tournaments. WERDER.DE provides an overview of which players are on international duty over the next two weeks.
Kainz against Veljkovic – these two only normally come up against each other on the training pitch. But they won’t just be in training when the two meet on Friday. They will be facing off in different kits as Austria take on Serbia. The game is a crucial one on the road to Russia and the two Werder teammates have to put their friendships aside for 90 minutes. This is the first time Milos Veljkovic has been called up for his country’s senior side. It remains to be seen whether either side will qualify for the World Cup next year. After the two teammates meet, they will have another chance for three vital points a few days later. Moldova awaits for Florian Kainz and Austria on Monday 9th October whilst Milos Veljkovic and Serbia have a home game against Georgia. Both games kick off at 20:45 CEST.
The first two Green-Whites to represent their countries will be Thomas Delaney for Denmark and Jiri Pavlenka for Czech Republic on Thursday 5th October. Theodor Gebre Selassie will not play for his national team in this round of fixtures, despite being called up, since his wife Leona is expecting their second child. Delaney will face Montenegro with Denmark in a World Cup qualifier whilst Pavlenka’s country comes up against Azerbaijan in a qualifier that they have to take at least a point from. Kick-off in Baku is at 18:00 CEST. Both Denmark and Czech Republic then have their final World Cup qualifier just three days later on Sunday 8th October. Delaney and co. kick off at 18:00 CEST in Copenhagen against Romania whilst Czech Republic face San Marino at 20:45 CEST in Plzen.
Meanwhile both Maximilian and Johannes Eggestein will join up with the Germany U21 team. Ulisses Garcia and the Switzerland U21s will fight for another three points in their European Championships qualification campaign. Germany U21s face Azerbaijan on Friday and then Norway on the following Tuesday. Switzerland U21s play their first game in this round of fixtures on Friday too, with kick-off at 19:00 CEST against Romania. Their final game of the international break is also at the same time as their German neighbours, with Liechtenstein the opponents for the Swiss in Vaduz at 19:00 CEST on 10th October. Werder striker Yuning Zhang has been called up to his U21 national side. The Chinese youngster will join up with his country on a training camp in Jiang until Sunday.
As well as Delaney, fellow Scandinavians Ludwig Augustinsson and Niklas Moisander will join up with their national sides and try and secure their respective countries’ passage to the World Cup next summer. Augustinsson and Sweden face Luxembourg at home in Solna. That could lead to a real thriller against the Oranje in Amsterdam to decide who reaches the World Cup finals. Niklas Moisander will face Croatia for Finland on Friday. Then their qualifying campaign ends with a home game against Turkey.
The upcoming international break also spells the return of two Bremen players to their national sides. Izet Hajrovic has been called up to the Bosnia and Herzegovina team for the first time since his injury and Werder's number 29 Ishak Belfodil will represent Algeria. Belfodil and Algeria will face Cameroon in a World Cup qualifier. Hajrovic and Bosnia also have a World Cup qualifier, they face Belgium. They conclude their qualifying campaign with an away game in Estonia.
Ludwig Augustinsson: Saturday, 07.10.2017, 18:00 CEST, Solna, World Cup qualifier: Sweden vs. Luxembourg; Tuesday, 10.10.2017, 20:45 CEST, Amsterdam, World Cup qualifier: Netherlands vs. Sweden
Ishak Belfodil: Saturday, 07.10.2017, 18:00 CEST, Yaounde, World Cup qualifier: Cameroon vs. Algeria
Thomas Delaney: Thursday, 05.10.2017, 20:45 CEST, Podgorica, World Cup qualifier: Montenegro vs. Denmark; Sunday, 08.10.2017, 18:00 CEST, Copenhagen, World Cup qualifier: Denmark vs. Romania
Ulisses Garcia: Friday, 06.10.2017, 19:00 CEST, Lugano, European Championship qualifier: Switzerland U21 vs. Romania U21; Tuesday, 10.10.2017, 18:00 CEST, Vaduz, European Championship qualifier: Liechtenstein U21 vs. Switzerland U21.
Izet Hajrovic: Saturday, 07.10.2017, 18:00 CEST, Sarajevo, World Cup qualifier: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Belgium; Tuesday, 10.10.2017, 20:45 CEST, Tallinn, World Cup qualifier: Estonia vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Florian Kainz: Friday, 06.10.2017, 20:45 CEST, Vienna, World Cup qualifier: Austria vs. Serbia; Monday, 09.10.2017, 20:45 CEST, Chisinau, World Cup qualifier: Moldova vs. Austria
Niklas Moisander: Friday, 06.10.2017, 20:45 CEST, Rijeka, World Cup qualifier: Croatia vs. Finland; Monday, 09.10.2017, 20:45 CEST, Turku, World Cup qualifier: Finland vs. Turkey
Jiri Pavlenka: Thursday, 05.10.2017, 18:00 CEST, Baku, World Cup qualifier: Azerbaijan vs. Czech Republic; Sunday, 08.10.2017, 20:45 CEST, Plzen, World Cup qualifier: Czech Republic vs. San Marino
Maximilian & Johannes Eggestein: Friday 06.10.2017, 19:00 CEST, Cottbus, European Championship qualifier: Germany U21 vs. Azerbaijan U21; Tuesday 10.10.2017, 19:00 CEST, Drammen, European Championship qualifier: Norway U21 vs. Germany U21
Milos Veljkovic: Friday, 06.10.2017, 20:45 CEST, Vienna, World Cup qualifier: Austria vs. Serbia; Monday, 09.10.2017, 20:45 CEST, Belgrade, World Cup qualifier: Serbia vs. Georgia
Yuning Zhang: China U21 training camp, 29.09.2017 – 08.10.2017 in Jiang
