The players hoping to wave the Sheffield United flag on the European stage

In normal circumstances, Chris Wilder would be delighted that a great swathe of his squad are spending the next week representing their respective countries.
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With nine of those on duty at Arsenal last weekend away on international duty, and one of the Steelphalt Academy’s most promising young graduates poised to win a first senior cap, the Sheffield United manager believes it is a sign of the club’s progress in recent seasons that so many have been selected. An emblem, if you like, of United’s success. After all, when Wilder was first appointed in May 2016, only three of those under his command had experience of the global stage. And one of those, goalkeeper Simon Moore, signed soon after Wilder’s arrival, collected his at the Island Games with the Isle of Wight.

However, with United making a disappointing start to the new Premier League campaign, the 53-year-old and his coaching staff would have preferred to spend the week ironing out the problems which mean their team will enter next Saturday’s game against Fulham searching for its first point of the season. Although David McGoldrick insisted following the defeat at the Emirates Stadium that there is “no need to panic”, that fixture already feels like being a pivotal moment in what Wilder always suspected would be a battle for survival. The visitors have also lost every single one of their opening four games, after being promoted from the Championship last term.

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Still, even though Wilder will spend the next seven days anxiously waiting for updates on the fitness of his international contingent, he knows that, if they excel, it could help them rediscover their best form and confidence at domestic level.

Wales: England (Tomorrow - friendly), Republic of Ireland (Sunday - Nations League), Bulgaria (Wednesday -Nations League).

Rhys Norrington-Davies’ inclusion in a squad which also contains Ethan Ampadu, on loan from Chelsea, created all the headlines when Ryan Giggs unveiled his picks for the meeting with England at Wembley. Norrington-Davies, who is scheduled to spend the season with Luton Town, has been a permanent fixture for his country at under-21 level and could make his senior debut against Gareth Southgate’s men, with Giggs expected to then decide if the youngster travels to Dublin and Sofia for the Nations League games with Ireland and Bulgaria. If Norrington-Davies is selected to face the latter, he could find himself facing Cicinho - a naturalised Bulgarian citizen who, after joining Ludogorets from Santos, is one of the most exciting players at Georgi Demendzhiev’s disposal.

Norway: Serbia (Tomorrow - Euro Q), Romania (Sunday - Nations League), Northern Ireland (Wednesday - Nations League).

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Sander Berge and his fellow countrymen begin their first of their three match programme with arguably the most important of all - a play-off game against the visitors from the Balkans. Coached by Lars Lagerback, the Norwegians usually line up in a 4-4-2 formation, meaning Berge must perform a slightly different role to the one he now holds down at Bramall Lane, after replacing Oliver Norwood at the base of United’s midfield. Ljubisa Tumbakovic, the Serb coach, has a series of accomplished technicians at his disposal including Dusan Tadic of Ajax and Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic - one of the most influential players at the Roman club. Norway’s approach focuses more on power and athleticism but Berge, if selected, will be absolutely crucial for the Scandinavians, who must cope with the visitors’ rotations and block their passing channels to stand a chance of reaching the finals. If Norway win, they could face Scotland in the final qualifying round.

David McGoldrick (L) and Oli McBurnie are among the Sheffield United players selected for international duty: Simon Bellis/SportimageDavid McGoldrick (L) and Oli McBurnie are among the Sheffield United players selected for international duty: Simon Bellis/Sportimage
David McGoldrick (L) and Oli McBurnie are among the Sheffield United players selected for international duty: Simon Bellis/Sportimage

Republic of Ireland: Slovakia (Tomorrow - Euro Q), Wales (Sunday), Finland (Wednesday).

Like Norway, Stephen Kenny’s men begin their latest round of matches with a European qualifier which, although the Nations League also offers a route towards major tournaments, will surely take precedence over their games against Wales and Finland. With John Egan, Enda Stevens and McGoldrick all expected to face Pavel Hapel’s side in Bratislava, Wilder will hope all three emerge unscathed from the game, which is expected to be an evenly matched encounter between two teams ranked 36th and 37th in the FIFA rankings. Egan and Stevens will both be tasked with ensuring Marek Hamsik, the Slovak’s talisman, can not impose himself on the game. But McGoldrick is likely to be involved in the fixture’s pivotal duel, as he faces Internazionale’s Milan Skriniar; regarded as one of the finest defenders in Europe right now. Kenny will hope McGoldrick can drag the 25-year-old out of position and help Ireland set-up a decider against either Bosnia or Northern Ireland.

Scotland: Israel (Tomorrow - Euro Q), Slovakia (Sunday - Nations League), Czech Republic (Wednesday - Nations League).

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A win over Willi Ruttensteiner’s men will lift some of the storm clouds which have gathered over Steve Clarke’s side in recent months. Despite having an array of Premier League players at their disposal, and some exceptional talents, the Scots are devoid of confidence. No other explanation can be offered for why they have struggled of late. After being withdrawn from their last round of games, only to feature for United in a pre-season friendly at Derby County, Oli McBurnie will be desperate to put in a big performance against Israel to stem some of the criticism, much of it unwarranted, which duly came his way. John Fleck is likely to be named on the bench but Oliver Burke was in line for a start after making three back to back appearances since his move to Bramall Lane until withdrawing through injury. With United in need of goals - and McBurnie and Burke among those tasked with delivering them - this could be the match which influences the next phase of United’s campaign the most.

Ethan Ampadu during Wales training at the Vale of Glamorgan resort this week: Harry Trump/Getty ImagesEthan Ampadu during Wales training at the Vale of Glamorgan resort this week: Harry Trump/Getty Images
Ethan Ampadu during Wales training at the Vale of Glamorgan resort this week: Harry Trump/Getty Images

England under-21: Andorra (Today - Euro Q), Turkey (Tuesday - Euro Q).

Aaron Ramsdale started this afternoon’s 3-0 win over Andorra, which means Aidy Boothroyd’s team require only a point from their game against Turkey to qualify for next year’s finals.

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