06 October 2015
While domestic league action is on hold across Europe in the next two weeks, the vast majority of Juventus’ playing squad will be jetting off for international duties with their respective national teams.
Among this group, feature a significant number of the Bianconeri’s up and coming youngsters out on loan or in co-ownership deals elsewhere on the continent.
Here’s who to look out for, when to tune in and where they will be in action.
Youth Level
Italy U20/U21: Rosseti, Cerri, Mattiello
The following ten days will see three Juve loanees turn out for Italy’s junior sides at both U20 and U21 level.
Joining up with fellow Bianconero Daniele Rugani in Luigi Di Biagio’s Azzurrini squad will be Valerio Lorenzo Rosseti, on loan at Cesena, and* Alberto Cerri*, on loan at Cagliari, ahead of their Poland EURO 2017 qualifying clashes with Slovenia in Koper on Thursday (kick-off 18.30 CEST) and Ireland in Vincenza the following Tuesday (18.00).
Meanwhile, Federico Mattiello, spending the 2015/2016 campaign at Chievo, will also don the blue of Italy as he lines up for the country’s U20 team against Poland tomorrow afternoon (15.00) in the “Four Nations” tournament.
Romania U21: Brancescu
Also at youth level, goalkeeper Laurentiu Brancescu, plying his trade this term in Cyprus with Omonia Nicosia, is set to represent Romania’s U21s this week, taking to the field against Luxembourg on Friday (18.00) before heading to Bialystok for a tie with Poland on Tuesday 13 October.
France U21: Coman
Kingsley Coman will also answer the call of his country as the striker, on loan at Bayern Munich, reunites with the French U21 squad as Les Espoirs look to kick-start their EURO 2017 preliminary campaign.
First up for Coman and co. will be a trip to Aberdeen to take on Scotland on Saturday (16.00) to be followed by a home clash in Strasbourg (18.45) with Ukraine three days later.
senior level
Cyprus: Kastanos
With nine points from eight games, Primavera star Grigoris Kastanos’ Cyprus will have their eyes on reaching next summer’s European Championships via the play-offs as two wins for the islanders from their upcoming encounters with Israel on Saturday (20.45) and Bosnia in a week’s time (also 20.45), could see them leapfrog their rivals into third place in Group B.
Lithuania: Slivka
Also featuring for his senior national team will be midfielder* Vykintas Slivka* (currently out on loan at Dutch Eerste Divisie outfit Den Bosch) as the 20-year old heads to Ljubljana, Slovenia on Friday (20.45) for the first of two testing away ties in Group E.
Should the Lithuanians achieve a positive result they will travel to Wembley to meet England on Monday (also 20.45) with hopes of snatching a play-off place from under the noses of Slovenia and Switzerland.
Chile: Isla
Further afield, Mauricio Isla, on loan at French club Marseille, faces perhaps the most eagerly-anticipated encounter of the week as he and his Chilean compatriots begin their World Cup qualifying journey against Brazil in Santiago on Friday (16.30 local time.)
Five days later, the Copa America holders meet Peru in Lima (16.15 local time.)
Australia: Troisi
Last but not least, the final Bianconero on international duty in the coming days will be Australian winger James Troisi, on loan at Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad. The Socceroos, like Chile, are also making their first steps towards Russia 2018 this week, meeting Jordan on Thursday (16.00).
