Bukayo Saka and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are both in the England squad for the upcoming triple-header over the international break.
England officially confirmed their squad for the upcoming fixtures on Thursday, with Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Ainsley Maitland-Niles making the list.
It’s Saka’s first call-up for the senior national team, whilst Maitland-Niles made his debut for the country over the last break.
England face Wales, Belgium and Denmark in quick succession, with fixture details as follows (times in BST):
- England vs Wales (friendly) – Thursday, 8th October. 20:00
- England vs Belgium (Nations League) – Sunday, 11th October. 17:00
- England vs Denmark (Nations League) – Wednesday, 14th October. 19:45
If Saka features in one of the competitive fixtures, it would have major implications for his international future. Once you’ve played in a competitive game for your country, you can’t switch allegiances, so it would rule up a future call-up with Nigeria.
Regardless, it’s great to see some recognition for Saka after his recent performances. It’s also nice that Maitland-Niles clearly did enough to get called back again. Hopefully, the two will feature regularly for their country in the coming years.