International

14 Gunners selected for international duty

David Raya playing for Spain

The vast majority of our men’s first-team squad are now on international duty for their national sides, ahead of some big matches across the globe.

The UEFA Nations League quarter-finals take place across two legs during this break, and several of our players will try to help their teams into the final four who will compete for the trophy in June.

There will be Gunners on either side when Mikel Merino and David Raya’s Spain aim to keep up their quest to retain the title when they face Jurrien Timber’s Netherlands. The winner of that tie will then face whoever emerges victorious when William Saliba’s France tackle Croatia, with the all-important second leg taking place in Paris.

Meanwhile, Riccardo Calafiori will hope to help Italy get past Germany. The winner will also have home advantage for the final stages of the tournament this summer, when they will face either Denmark or Portugal in the final four.

Also in the Nations League, there are a number of promotion/relegation play-offs taking place. This again sees Gunners go head-to-head as Oleksandr Zinchenko’s Ukraine look to take Belgium’s spot in League A, for whom Leandro Trossard has been called up. Meanwhile Scotland will want to avoid dropping down to League B at the expense of Greece, with Kieran Tierney back in contention for the Tartan Army.

For everyone else in Europe, qualifying for the 2026 World Cup will begin, and Myles Lewis-Skelly is a new face in England’s squad for their matches with Albania and Latvia. He’ll hope to win his first cap in either of the games at Wembley, while Declan Rice has also been selected for the Three Lions in what will be Thomas Tuchel’s first games in charge.

Martin Odegaard will want to end Norway’s long wait for an appearance at a major finals when they kick-off their qualifying campaign with road games against Moldova and Israel, while Jakub Kiwior could face Lithuania and Malta.

The race to reach the finals in North America next year continues elsewhere, with Gabriel included in Brazil’s squad for matches against Colombia and Argentina. Both teams sit above the Selecao who occupy the fifth out of six qualifying spots, with six more games to go.

In Africa, Thomas Partey will be aiming for maximum points from matches against Chad and Madagascar to continue their good start to their qualification campaign, which sees them with nine points from the first four group games.


Full list of senior call-ups

All times GMT

Thursday, March 20
Croatia v France (Saliba)
Nations League | Split | 7.45pm

Netherlands (Timber) v Spain (Merino, Raya)
Nations League | Rotterdam | 7.45pm

Italy (Calafiori)  v Germany
Nations League | Milan | 7.45pm

Greece v Scotland (Tierney)
Nations League | Piraeus | 7.45pm

Ukraine (Zinchenko) v Belgium (Trossard)
Nations League | Murcia, Spain | 7.45pm

Friday, March 21
Brazil (Gabriel) v Colombia
World Cup qualifier | Brasilia | 12.45am

Ghana (Partey) v Chad
World Cup qualifier | Accra | 7pm

England (Lewis-Skelly, Rice) v Albania
World Cup qualifier | London | 7.45pm

Poland (Kiwior) v Lithuania
World Cup qualifier | Warsaw | 7.45pm

Saturday, March 22
Moldova v Norway (Odegaard)
World Cup qualifier | Chisinau | 5pm

Sunday, March 23
France (Saliba) v Croatia
Nations League | Paris | 7.45pm

Germany v Italy (Calafiori)
Nations League | Dortmund | 7.45pm

Scotland (Tierney) v Greece
Nations League | Glasgow | 7.45pm

Spain (Merino, Raya) v Netherlands (Timber)
Nations League | Valencia | 7.45pm

Belgium (Trossard) v Ukraine (Zinchenko)
Nations League | Genk | 7.45pm

Monday, March 24
Madagascar v Ghana (Partey)
World Cup qualifier | Al Hoceima, Morocco | 7pm

England (Lewis-Skelly, Rice) v Latvia
World Cup qualifier | London | 7.45pm

Poland (Kiwior) v Malta
World Cup qualifier | Warsaw | 7.45pm

Tuesday, March 25
Israel v Norway (Odegaard)
World Cup qualifier | Debrecen, Hungary | 7.45pm

Wednesday, March 26
Argentina v Brazil (Gabriel)
World Cup qualifier | Buenos Aries | 12am