Newcastle United’s busy campaign has hit a pause as several of their key players are away on international duty. With nine senior stars representing their countries at various age levels, the team is gearing up to face Crystal Palace upon their return.
The Euro 2024 qualifying phase is nearing its end, and Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, Scotland, and Turkey have already secured their spots alongside hosts Germany. England has a chance to clinch their place by defeating Italy at Wembley on Tuesday night, with matches against Malta and North Macedonia on the horizon.
During Monday night’s international fixtures, two Newcastle players were in action. Martin Dubravka continued to hold his place as the starting goalkeeper for Slovakia, while Tino Livramento received a start for England’s under-21s. Both players will soon be back with the team, although they have struggled to find significant playing time for the Magpies this season.
Despite Slovakia’s recent loss to Portugal, Dubravka received praise for his performance. He followed this up with a clean sheet in a narrow victory against Luxembourg, where David Duris’ goal in the 77th minute brought Slovakia closer to qualifying from Group J alongside Portugal.
Dubravka’s compatriot and former striker, Robert Vittek, has urged him to consider a January exit based on his display in the loss against Porto. Additionally, former Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel questioned Dubravka’s decision to join Manchester United on loan last season. However, Skrtel believes that Dubravka’s performances for Slovakia will attract attention from scouts during the upcoming transfer window.
Livramento, who has mainly been a substitute in the Premier League, earned valuable minutes as he came on as a substitute in England U-21’s outstanding 9-1 win over Serbia. The summer signing also started in the team’s 3-2 defeat against Ukraine on Monday night before being replaced by Brooke Norton-Cuffy in the 73rd minute.
Although Livramento acknowledges that Kieran Trippier is the top player in his position, he remains hopeful of getting more playing time in the upcoming months. He left a strong impression in the Carabao Cup third-round victory over Manchester City and aims to build on that performance.
