March 2019: Top five players who are out of action in the upcoming international break

There are some notable figures who are not going to feature in the international fixtures which commence in a few days’ time.

As the international break makes its way, we see many of the top stars donning their national colors and taking the field for their respective countries. However, there are a few stars who have either been not selected or have been forced to pull out from their international duty, largely owing to injuries.

As a result, the players who are not going to feature in the upcoming international break will get a couple weeks of rest to mend any knocks and regain their match fitness. This serves as a good news for the fans of the clubs which these players play for as it acts as a deterrent to any injuries that can possibly be picked while playing for their country.

We have compiled a list of the top-five players who will be out-of-action in the international break in March.

5. Luke Shaw

Despite having a breakthrough season at Manchester United, the England left-back, Luke Shaw has had an unfortunate spell with injuries when it comes to national duty. He was forced off after suffering a concussion in his last appearance for the Three Lions against Spain in the UEFA Nations League.

 Luke Shaw has pulled out from England squad due to a knock picked up against Wolves

The 23-year-old has pulled out from the England squad that is to face Czech Republic and Montenegro due to a knock he carried after the FA Cup exit at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, 17 March 2019. It is expected that Ben Chilwell of Leicester City will replace him at the left-back position as a direct replacement.

4. Xherdan Shaqiri

The Swiss maestro has been his country's main man in international tournaments

The Swiss international and Liverpool winger, Xherdan Shaqiri has been ruled out of his country's opening European Qualifiers against Georgia and Denmark due to a thigh injury. It is believed that he was inflicted with it during the national team camp from which he withdrew later on.

The 27-year-old has failed to feature for the Merseyside club in recent times, with his last appearance coming back in February where he came on as a substitute against Manchester United in a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford. A senior figure in the Switzerland squad, Shaqiri will be a huge miss as he is a regular starter for the national team.

ALSO READ

Arsenal to not sign Denis Suarez on a permanent transfer, Mesut Ozil to stay

Top five matches to look out for in the International break in March 2019

Demba Ba accuses Daily Mirror of inciting hatred

3. Andrew Robertson

The Scotland captain, Andrew Robertson has pulled out of the squad that is to face Kazakhstan in their opening Euro 2020 qualifier on Thursday, 21 March 2019. The reason cited for his exclusion is a dental issue which needs immediate surgery in order to be resolved.

 Scotland captain Andrew Robertson will be unavailable due to a dental issue

The left-back has been immense to Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge and will be a huge miss for Scotland. It is unclear if he will be available for the second qualifier against San Marino at the moment, however, the Liverpool fan-base are taking it as a blessing-in-disguise as their full-back will be able to avoid any injury that may hamper their title prospects and Champions League run.

2. Isco Alarcon

The Spaniard was a regular in his country's roster before this season

The Real Madrid central-midfielder, Isco, has been left out of the Spanish squad that is set to face Norway and Malta in the Euro 2020 qualifiers in a few days. The reason for his exclusion as many experts believe is due to the lack of minutes the Spaniard has accumulated for Real Madrid after having been frustrated on the sidelines by former manager Santiago Solari.

He was reinstated into the starting lineup since Zinedine Zidane took over the position of the manager at Real Madrid but Luis Enrique, head coach of the Spain national team decided against calling up the 26-year-old.

1. Alexis Sanchez

The Chilean is an integral part of his country's national team

[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]

The Chilean has had a disappointing spell at Manchester United and has been marred by frequent injuries. Alexis Sanchez was integral to Chile’s Copa America triumph in 2015 and despite the dwindling form, he is an important figure within the squad who has huge influence over his teammates. Chile are up against USA and Mexico in friendlies during the international break which Sanchez is going to miss due to a knee injury he picked in early March against Southampton.

Chile head coach, Jorge Sampaoli, will be hoping that his star player makes a swift comeback to be part of the preparations for the upcoming Copa America where Chile will be defending their title.