Back to international week again and the emptying of clubs. Rumour has it that José Mourinho only has a couple of goalkeepers left at home this week – the joys of being Chelsea manager apparently includes simply having a week off when the players are out on duty for their countries… Martin Jol has a few more at home, but most of our first team is also out travelling.
Paul Robinson, Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon are in the England squad, trying to qualify for Euro 2008 while Tom Huddlestone, Ben Alnwick and Wayne Routledge are part of the England under -21 squad which take on Italy in the friendly at Wembley. As the first competition to be held in the new stadium there is history in the making. History is of course also made at Croke Park, where the foreign game soccer will be played for the first time as The Republic of Ireland, captained by Robbie Keane, take on Wales.
Dimitar Berbatov captains Bulgaria against Albania and Teemu Tainio joins Finland against Azerbaijan. Didier Zokora as well as Hossam Ghaly and Mido are playing African Nations Cup qualifiers with the Ivory Coast and Egypt respectively. Paul Stalteri and Lee Young-Pyo are playing friendlies with Canada and South Korea.
After having been told daily about Steve McClaren’s fears regarding his England choices’ health, especially concerning Aaron Lennon, it is now our turn to worry and hope that all will go well. Aaron better not come home from England duty with his knee in pieces! Waiting for the lads when they come home is our home match against Reading, the first game in a new congested fixture period: 7 games in 28 days of April including Chelsea, Arsenal and Sevilla twice…
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