Rangers head into the international break in some superb form.
Philippe Clement has finally got Rangers ticking this season. Seven wins out of their last eight games ensures that the Gers head into the international break in great form – albeit still behind their bitter rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
There have been some standout players for the Gers this season. James Tavernier has been his usual sensational self, Abdallah Sima has been firing and, overall, the squad is in a really good place.
This has led to some call-ups for international duty. Six, to be exact. Here are the first-team stars that could be set to feature for their countries over the next week.
Ryan Jack & Robby McCrorie (Scotland)
Ryan Jack and Robby McCrorie have both been called up to the Scottish national side.
Who are they facing?
Scotland has two games, which are both EURO 2024 Qualifiers. Their fixtures are as follows.
- Thursday 16th November 2023, 5 PM BST: Georgia vs Scotland
- Sunday 19th November 2023, 7:45 PM BST: Scotland vs Norway
Are they likely to play?
Both are not usual Scotland starters. Jack is the more likely of the two to play, with 17 caps to his name.
McCrorie as a goalkeeper is not even number one for the Gers, so will definitely struggle for minutes unless something drastic happens for the Scottish national side.
Jose Cifuentes (Ecuador)
Jose Cifuentes has been called up to the Ecuadorian national side.
Who are they facing?
Ecuador has two games, which are both CONMEBOL World Cup Qualification games. Their fixtures are as follows.
- Thursday 16th November 2023, 10 PM BST: Venezuela vs Ecuador
- Sunday 19th November 2023, 11:30 PM BST: Ecuador vs Chile
Are they likely to play?
Cifuentes should feature at some point for Ecuador.
The £1.2m man managed 56 minutes in their last game against Bolivia, which was his 18th cap for the side. If you’re into your South American football, give these a watch – the games should be ace.
Abdallah Sima (Senegal)
Abdallah Sima has been called up to the Senegalese national side.
Who are they facing?
Senegal has two games, which are both CAF World Cup Qualification games. Their fixtures are as follows.
- Saturday 18th November 2023, 7 PM BST: Senegal vs South Sudan
- Tuesday 21st November 2023, 3 PM BST: Togo vs Senegal
Are they likely to play?
Probably not. Despite some decent goalscoring form for the Gers, Sima has managed just two caps for his country.
This comes as no surprise, with Senegal boasting a plethora of immense attacking talent. Nevertheless, good to see him involved in the squad. He’ll be put through his paces by the coaching staff on the training ground.
Ridvan Yilmaz (Turkey)
Ridvan Yilmaz has been called up to the Turkish national side.
Who are they facing?
Turkey has two games, one friendly and one EURO 2024 Qualifier. Their fixtures are as follows.
- Saturday 18th November 2023, 7:45 PM BST: Germany vs Turkey (Friendly)
- Tuesday 21st November 2023, 7:45 PM BST: Wales vs Turkey
Are they likely to play?
Two huge games, but will Yilmaz feature? Probably not.
You have to go back all the way to November 2022 for Yimaz’s last national appearance, where he earned only his third cap.
Ross McCausland (Northern Ireland)
Ross McCausland has been called up to the Northern Ireland national side.
Who are they facing?
Northern Ireland has two games, both EURO 2024 Qualifier. Their fixtures are as follows.
- Friday 17th November 2023, 5 PM BST: Finland vs Northern Ireland
- Monday 20th November 2023, 7:45 PM BST: Northern Ireland vs Denmark
Are they likely to play?
McCausland’s fine performances in Scotland have earned the 20-year-old his first-ever senior international call-up.
It is unknown as to whether he’ll feature, but a debut could be the right time now given his recent fine form.
