Sheffield Wednesday have eight players heading away on international duty this month, with Owls heading to continents across the world.

At senior level, Jamal Lowe is set for a long trip, linking up with Jamaica as they prepare for a World Cup play-off semi-final against New Caledonia. That one takes place in the early hours of Friday morning - 3am GMT, to be precise - at Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico. It’s a big occasion, and one that carries plenty of weight, with a place in the next stage on the line - the final will be on March 31st, if they make it.

Closer to home, Pierce Charles will be involved in Northern Ireland’s own play-off semi-final clash, travelling to face Italy on Thursday evening. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:45pm GMT at the Gewiss Stadium, and it’s another high-stakes encounter for the young goalkeeper continuing to build his international experience.

In Africa, Marvelous Nakamba is back on familiar ground with Zimbabwe as they take part in the Mukuru Four Nations Tournament. Their fixture sees them face Botswana on Saturday afternoon, kicking off at 4pm GMT at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium — a regional contest that still carries its own competitive edge. Malawi and Zambia are also involved.

Meanwhile, there’s plenty of action further down the age groups as well, with Wednesday’s younger contingent getting valuable minutes on the international stage.

Gabriel Otegbayo has a double-header to look forward to with the Republic of Ireland’s U21s. First up is a European Championship Qualifier against Moldova on Thursday, kicking off at 5:15pm GMT at Tallaght Stadium. From there, attention turns to Kazakhstan, where Ireland face their Kazakh counterparts on March 31st at 3pm GMT, with the game being held at Turkestan Arena, It’s another important step in their qualifying campaign, and Otegbayo will hope to be plenty involved.

In-form Devlan Moses is also in U21s action, linking up with Northern Ireland for two qualifiers of their own. They travel to Germany first, taking on the hosts on Friday at 5pm GMT in Braunschweig, before a second test against Latvia on Tuesday. The latter is still to have kick-off time confirmed, but it marks another chance for Moses to continue his progression.

Elsewhere, Joel Ndala is part of England’s U20s squad for an international friendly against Italy. The match is set for Friday afternoon, 2:30pm GMT, at the Riano Athletic Center. It’ll be a useful opportunity for him to test himself against strong opposition in a less pressured environment after a tough spell at S6.

And then, rounding things off, Logan Stretch and Will Grainger are both involved with Wales U19s, who take on the USA Under-19s in an international friendly on Saturday. That one gets underway at midday, 12pm GMT, as they continue their development on the international stage.

It’s a busy spell for the internationals, there’s no doubt about that, and - unlike their teammates - they won’t be getting a break to rest up. But for those involved it’s a chance to represent their countries, gain experience, and return sharper for the run-in - and none of those are bad things.