Nine Senior Players In Exodus From NUFC

In the 'olden' days, talk of one of our players being involved in international football or the club being linked with an international player brought thoughts of joy, excitement or unfounded jubilation.

Nowadays, it fills us with dread when 'international week' arrives.

This week sees nine senior squad members as well as some youngsters head out on long journeys to countries where anything can happen as their care is out of the clubs hands.

We're notorious as a club that if ever a player is injured here, the chances are that it happens whilst a player is on international duty, which is a kick in the teeth considering we pay their wedge.

Anyway, nowt we can do about it but wish them luck.

The seniors involved are:

Dutch International Tim Krul and Italian Davide Santon, who's two clubs face each other in Amsterdam on Wednesday night. It's Santon's first call up since joining our club whilst Krul is becoming a regular.

Some of our French revolution head off for a game in Paris against Germany on Wednesday also. Yohan Cabaye, Mathieu Debuchy, Moussa Sissoko and late call-up Mapou Yanga-Mbwia feature for Les Bleus.

Papiss Cisse features for Senegal tonight against Guinea in Paris which is a surprise considering his initial decision to retire from international football over the invoking of the five day FIFA rule, which made him miss a league game for us last year.

Finally Northern Irish Shane Ferguson is involved in a game against Malta and our captain Fabricio Coloccini flies to Sweden for a game with his Argentina side.

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.