No prem game, but plenty of action for the lads... Injuries is what i worry about... But a canny lot of internationals at SAFC at the moment..... With the league programme taking a back seat for international fixtures, safc.com takes a look at where the Sunderland players away with their respective countries will be playing over the next eight days. PHIL BARDSLEY - SCOTLAND Bardsley - currently serving a four-match ban at domestic level - will travel to Liechtenstein with Scotland for a Euro 2012 qualifier on Saturday (October 8) as Craig Levein's side look to build on the 1-0 win over Lithuania last time out. The Scots then travel to Alicante next Tuesday (October 11) for a tricky test against leaders Spain, who hold an eight-point lead at the top of the group. NICKLAS BENDTNER - DENMARK Denmark open back-to-back qualifiers with an away trip to winless Cyprus on Friday (October 7), followed by a crunch game against Portugal in Kobenhavn next Tuesday. Both the Danes and the Portuguese have 13 points, with the latter currently in pole position at the top of Group H. JI DONG-WON - SOUTH KOREA While Europe concentrates on Euro 2012, World Cup 2014 qualifying is already under way in Asia. Ji Dong-won's South Korea have four points to show from their first two games and face a home game against the United Arab Emirates in Suwon on Tuesday 11th October. The Taeguk Warriors will warm up for the game with a friendly against Poland in Seoul on Friday (October 7, KO 12 noon BST). LOUIS LAING - ENGLAND UNDER-19 Laing has received a late call-up to the England under-19 squad for the Limoges Tournament, which pits the Young Lions against France, Portugal and Ukraine over five days. England will take on hosts France this Wednesday (6pm BST) before facing Portugal on Friday (2pm BST) and Ukraine on Sunday (2pm BST). SEB LARSSON - SWEDEN Larsson and Sweden will continue their Euro 2012 qualification campaign with a game against Scandinavian rivals Finland in Helsinki on Friday. The Swedes, who can secure a play-off place with a win, then host group leaders Holland the following Tuesday looking to make amends for a 4-1 defeat in Amsterdam a year ago. SIMON MIGNOLET - BELGIUM The Belgians sit third in Group A - two points behind second-placed Turkey - and have a chance to move up a place on Friday with a home game against Kazakhstan, who have won only once so far. Then keeper Mignolet will make the short trip to face Germany on Tuesday with the hosts still unbeaten during their qualification campaign having won eight out of eight. JOHN O'SHEA & KEIREN WESTWOOD - REPUBLIC OF IRELAND The Sunderland pair head to Andorra on Friday hoping for at least a repeat of the 3-1 win achieved in Dublin when the two sides last met in September 2010. After facing the group minnows on Friday, Ireland return home for a Tuesday night game with Armenia, who are currently just a point behind them and have scored seven goals in their last two outings. STEPHANE SESSEGNON Sessegnon and Benin are on the African Cup of Nations qualification trail as they face Rwanda in Porto-Novo on Sunday (October 9). The Beninese are still in the hunt for qualification - sitting third in Group H - while the Rwandans are bottom having lost four of their opening five games. DAVID VAUGHAN Wales sit bottom of Group G with three points from their opening six games and will be hoping for a timely fillip when Switzerland head to Swansea on Friday. The Swiss are still in the hunt for qualification, three points behind second-placed Montenegro, and ran out easy 4-1 winners the last time the two sides met. The Welsh then face a tricky clash with Bulgaria at the Vasil Levski National Stadium on Tuesday. CONNOR WICKHAM - ENGLAND UNDER-21 Wickham and England Under-21s face two tough Euro 2013 qualifiers, beginning with a clash with Iceland on Thursday. Stuart Pearce's youngsters, who top their qualifying group with one game played, then head to Norway next Monday and Pearce will be looking for his side to consolidate their lead. Canny trek for Ji...
Thanks for the info Comm. don't get much news here, apart from what I can glean from the on line newspapers. The norwegians aren't interested in other teams
