At a glance
- Six Newcastle stars named in England squad
- Striker receives backing from International manager
- Injuries and form keep some out
Newcastle United players are ready to represent their countries during the upcoming March international break, the final one before the World Cup.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has handed six of Eddie Howe’s first-team squad call-ups ahead of the World Cup, while there are some surprise omissions.
Following Eberechi Eze’s injury, Harvey Barnes has been added to the Three Lions squad ahead of games against Uruguay and Japan. Barnes also had the chance to represent Scotland, but he chose to align himself with Tuchel’s team.
Barnes will be the sixth Newcastle player in the England squad alongside Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento, Aaron Ramsdale, Anthony Gordon and Dan Burn. Many will be fighting for their place in the starting team, though Hall looks like he has a great opportunity to put his stamp down ahead of the summer.
Newcastle players called up
Nick Woltemade is returning to the Germany squad after making his debut for his country last summer. There has been much talk about the 24-year-old ahead of the fixtures, due to Eddie Howe’s tactical treatment of him in recent months.
Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann is backing Woltemade to play up front, but he has competition with Denis Undav and Kai Havertz. He isn’t the only Magpies player to be called up by Nagelsmann, as Malick Thiaw has also received a call-up, having represented his country five times.
Sandro Tonali is ready to help Italy qualify for the World Cup in North America, as they face Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier semi-final. He wasn’t in the squad for Gli Azzurri’s 4-1 defeat to Norway in November, but before that, he had played every minute of their previous four games.
Tonali won’t be the only member of Howe’s squad in a World Cup qualifier, as Anthony Elanga’s Sweden takes on Ukraine in their semi-final. Sweden hasn’t won in six, and they will be hoping the 23-year-old can be a difference maker.
William Osula has been a more frequent starter for the Magpies recently and earns a call-up to Denmark, who also play a World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia. If he gets on the pitch, he will be making his senior international debut.
The final member of the St James’ Park outfit to be called up is Yoane Wissa. He’s faced a lot of criticism since moving to the Northeast due to injury problems and his overall performance.
In his last two games for his country, he has three goal contributions, but injuries kept him out of the African Cup of Nations. DR Congo will play either New Caledonia or Jamaica in a World Cup qualifier final.
| Newcastle stars | Nation |
|---|---|
| Harvey Barnes | England |
| Tino Livramento | England |
| Dan Burn | England |
| Anthony Gordon | England |
| Aaron Ramsdale | England |
| Lewis Hall | England |
| Sandro Tonali | Italy |
| Nick Woltemade | Germany |
| Malick Thiaw | Germany |
| Anthony Elanga | Sweden |
| William Osula | Denmark |
| Yoane Wissa | DR Congo |
Who missed out?
Club captain Bruno Guimaraes is not included in Brazil’s squad as he is still nursing his way back from injury. He picked up a hamstring injury in February and is expected to remain out until the international break has concluded. He has also been placed under self-isolation after a mumps diagnosis.
The 28-year-old has played well in Black and White this season, and he will be hoping for no more bad news regarding his injury as he looks set to be at the World Cup.
His Brazilian teammate Joelinton has also failed to be called up by the five-time World Cup winners. He is still getting match fit after an extended period out of the squad.
The 29-year-old will be hoping for a strong end to the season, as he has only played three times for his country since December 2023.
Jacob Ramsey could have potentially been a seventh member of the Magpies squad in the England team, but the quality in the midfield for England, alongside Ramsey’s unpredictable displays, has seen him left on Tyneside.
