Only four Reds away on international duty

FCBayernNews · News fetcher Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 1328 votes: 2

13.11.2006

The Säbener Strasse would normally be close to deserted this week, as more than half the first-team squad customarily set off on their travels when the world football calendar features a round of international fixtures, but on this occasion, just four Bayern stars have been summoned to represent their countries.

Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm appear for Germany in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Cyprus in Nicosia on Wednesday evening, the 2006 World Cup hosts' 18th international of the calendar year. However, the team coached by Joachim Löw have no further fixtures until 2007. Lukas Podolski misses the trip to the Mediterranean with injury.

Plenty at stake for Ali

That also applies to Daniel van Buyten and his Belgium team-mates, as they sign off for 2006 with a Euro qualifying clash against Poland in Brussels on Wednesday evening. The Red Devils would remain firmly in contention in Group A with a victory against the side currently closest to them in the table.

Iran and midfield schemer Ali Karimi meet South Korea in Teheran on Wednesday, and although both sides have already qualified for the 2007 Asian Cup in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, top spot in their qualifying group is up for grabs. The nations are level on points, with South Korea just ahead on a goal difference of +12 to Iran's +8.

Three pull out

Injury prevents Owen Hargreaves turning out for England against the Netherlands, and stops Brazil defender Lucio from facing Euro 2008 co-hosts Switzerland in Basel.

Right-back Willy Sagnol has withdrawn from France's warm-up against Greece in Paris due to a persistent knee complaint, while Paraguay pair Roque Santa Cruz and Julio Dos Santos have declined to undertake the arduous round trip for a friendly in Santiago de Chile.

Few absentees from weekend starting eleven

Roy Makaay and Mark van Bommel (Netherlands), Martin Demichelis (Argentina) and Claudio Pizarro (Peru) have all been overlooked for international duty, either of their own or the current national coach's volition, while Oliver Kahn (Germany) and Hasan Salihamidzic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) have retired from the international scene, so boss Felix Magath will supervise practically the entire starting eleven from Saturday's trip to Leverkusen when he calls the squad together for training on Tuesday.

All in all, the champions should enjoy far smoother preparations for the top-of-the-table clash at home to VfB Stuttgart on Saturday than would normally have been the case.