Barcelona duo called up for Germany, Kounde on France’s list for international break

Barcelona secured a place in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League earlier this week through a clean win over Napoli at Montjuic. They now stare a game against Atletico Madrid in the eye, after which the player will disperse for two weeks for what will be the final international break of the season.

The upcoming hiatus does indeed feature mere friendly games, but it holds more significance in the bigger picture.

With both the Copa America and the European Championships scheduled for this summer, the coming break will give national team managers a final chance to test their resources and backups.

Three players on the list

Earlier today, the French and German National teams revealed their squads for the upcoming international break, and unsurprisingly, included Barcelona players on the roster.

The team’s only French player, Jules Kounde, was included on Didier Deschamps’ list earlier today and will thus travel with Les Blues for their games against Germany and Chile.

Kounde plays as a right-back on the international stage as well, similar to his role under Xavi.

The German roster also included both of Barcelona’s internationals – Ilkay Gundogan and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. The former will lead the team for the coming games and likely the Euros while Ter Stegen’s situation is unclear after Manuel Neuer’s return.

Julian Nagelsmann’s side will play France and The Netherlands in the upcoming hiatus.

The big revelation

It is not surprising to see Barcelona lead the way in terms of international call-ups, for the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Joao Felix, Raphinha, Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen amongst others are all expected to be integral parts of their national teams.

The spotlight in Catalonia, however, is on Luis de La Fuente’s list for the Spanish tactician who is said to be considering Pau Cubarsí and Fermin Lopez as options for La Roja.

The former has been included in the manager’s pre-list and has a good chance of making the cut while the latter improved his chances with a sensational show against Napoli. While it is indeed a big moment for the two youngsters, many in the administration are worried about their inclusion.

Barcelona have already lost Pedri, Gavi and Alejandro Balde to injuries owing to excessive game-time at a young age.

The National Team’s mismanagement of their minutes went a long way in all three players’ situations, and Xavi and Co. thus hope that the likes of Cubarsi and Lopez and handled better.