Internationals | First-team squad prepare for national team action

7th October 2020

Wolves have seen 16 of their first-team players called up by their countries for this week's international period.

Nuno Espirito Santo will be without the majority of his first-team squad in the coming seven days, after an unprecedented number of his Wolves players were selected for their national teams, with 14 of those called up due to face competitive fixtures.

Captain Conor Coady was recalled by England, just a day after putting pen-to-paper on a new five-year contract, having made his senior international debut with a man of the match performance against Denmark in the Three Lions’ previous outing.

The defender will be aiming to add to his cap collection as England play three matches at Wembley Stadium this week, taking on Wales in a friendly, before facing Leander Dendoncker’s Belgium and Denmark in Nations League ties.

Dendoncker was an unused substitute in both of Belgium’s September international fixtures and he could get a start for his country as they face England and Iceland in Nations League matches, as well as a friendly with the Ivory Coast.

The Ivorians could have seen Willy Boly lining up for them after the French-born defender was selected for their friendly matches against Belgium and Japan, but he is yet to decide on his international future and turned down the opportunity to play for the Ivory Coast, so will instead remain at Compton Park.

Adama Traore, who was called up by both Spain and Mali but has decided to represent the country of his birth on the international stage, will be hoping it's third time lucky having had to withdraw from the Spain squad following his previous two call-ups.

The former Spanish under-21 forward will be aiming to make his senior bow in his country's fixtures against Portugal, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Possibly lining up against Traore this week will be his Wolves teammates Rui Patricio, Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Nelson Semedo and Daniel Podence who have all been called up to represent Portugal.

Although latter four are all regularly selected for their country, it is just the second time Podence has received an international selection, and his first since playing in gold and black. He could make his senior Portugal debut – having played for his country at all youth levels – in their friendly with Spain or the Nations League matches with France or Sweden.

Elsewhere on the senior stage, Raul Jimenez has been selected for Mexico’s international friendlies with Netherlands and Algeria – both taking place in Holland, while new Morocco captain Romain Saiss could face home friendlies against Senegal and the DR Congo.

Wolves also have five players away with their junior international sides, with Pedro Neto and Vitinha both selected for Portugal under-21’s UEFA Euro U21 qualifying clashes with Norway and Gibraltar. Fabio Silva will be with Portugal’s under-20s next week - as will Wolves under-23 captain Christian Marques - as they hold a training camp in Lisbon.

New signing Rayan Ait-Nouri has been selected by France under-21s as 'Les Bleuets' face Euro U21 qualifying matches against Liechtenstein and Slovakia, while Oskar Buur has been called up by Denmark under-21s for their qualifying ties away in Malta and at home to Finland.

Wolves internationals October fixtures

Patricio, Moutinho, Neves, Semedo, Podence (Portugal): UEFA Nations League group stages