GLASGOW, SCOTLAND: Kieran Tierney of Scotland celebrates after scoring their side's first goal during the international friendly match between Scotland and Poland at Hampden Park on March 24, 2022. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

5 goals, 4 assists, 2 debuts: Arsenal’s March international results

Mar 30, 2022

With the international break now coming to an end, let’s take a look at all of Arsenal’s call-ups and results for March.

Egypt's midfielder Mohamed Elneny gives a thumbs up to Mohamed Salah during a training session at an annex of the Olembe stadium in Yaounde on February 5, 2022. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images) — Egypt midfielder Mohamed Elneny faces key World Cup qualifiers this month (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)

Before we get into Arsenal’s senior call-ups this month, let’s run through the reasoning behind some of the absentees.

Takehiro Tomiyasu, Matt Turner, Omar Rekik, and Karl Hein would all normally join up with their national teams, but the quartet are currently out through injury.

Similarly, Aaron Ramsdale was called up by England, but he had to withdraw from international action through injury. Bukayo Saka later had to withdraw as well after testing positive for Covid.

Gabriel Magalhaes was called up by Brazil but withdrew too given the imminent birth of his child.

Latest Arsenal injury updates and news

Bernd Leno has simply missed out this time, his first international absence since the summer of 2019. His total lack of games in the build-up to the German announcement is surely the reason why, so it’s a shame the Aston Villa start and clean sheet came too late.

As for Nuno Tavares (Portugal) and Folarin Balogun (England), they were both involved with their countries’ u21 sides. William Saliba was initially called up by the France u21s, but he’s since been promoted to the senior side.

Let’s take a look at the rest of the call-ups.

Arsenal international call-ups

Belgium's Albert Sambi Lokonga pictured during a press conference of the Belgian national team on Monday 30 August 2021 in Tubize. Photo: VIRGINIE LEFOUR — Belgium’s Albert Sambi Lokonga pictured during a press conference of the Belgian national team on Monday 30 August 2021 in Tubize. Photo: VIRGINIE LEFOUR

Belgium: Albert Sambi Lokonga
Brazil: Gabriel Magalhaes (withdrawn) and Gabriel Martinelli
Egypt: Mohamed Elneny
England: Aaron Ramsdale and Bukayo Saka (withdrawn), Ben White and Emile Smith Rowe
France: William Saliba and Matteo Guendouzi
Ghana: Thomas Partey
Greece: Konstantinos Mavropanos
Iceland: Runar Alex Runarsson
Ivory Coast: Nicolas Pepe
Northern Ireland: Daniel Ballard
Norway: Martin Odegaard
Portugal: Cedric Soares
Scotland: Kieran Tierney
Switzerland: Granit Xhaka
Uruguay: Lucas Torreira

Results

Thursday, March 24th

Scotland's defender Kieran Tierney (C) heads home the opening goal during the friendly football match between Scotland and Poland at Hampden Park in Glasgow on March 24, 2022. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty Images) — Scotland’s defender Kieran Tierney (C) heads home the opening goal during the friendly football match between Scotland and Poland at Hampden Park in Glasgow on March 24, 2022. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty Images)

Portugal 3-1 Turkey – Cedric was an unused substitute as Portugal made it to the World Cup qualifying play-off final
Scotland 1-1 Poland – Tierney scored a header for Scotland, playing 90 minutes and winning the Player of the Match award
Brazil 4-0 Chile – Martinelli made his debut for Brazil, coming on for the final 15 minutes
Uruguay 1-0 Peru – Torreira played 14 minutes as a substitute as Uruguay qualified for the World Cup

Friday, March 25th

Ivory Coast's forward Nicolas Pepe (C) scores a goal during the friendly football match between France and Ivory Coast at the Velodrome Stadium in Marseille, southern France, on March 25, 2022. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images) — Ivory Coast’s forward Nicolas Pepe (C) scores a goal during the friendly football match between France and Ivory Coast at the Velodrome Stadium in Marseille, southern France, on March 25, 2022. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)

Norway 2-0 Slovakia – Odegaard played 90 minutes, scored, and won Man of the Match
Romania 0-1 Greece – Mavropanos played 90 minutes and helped Greece to a clean sheet
Luxembourg 1-3 Northern Ireland – Ballard was an unused substitute
Egypt 1-0 Senegal – Elneny played 90 minutes as Egypt put together a slight lead to take into their World Cup qualifier second leg
Ghana 0-0 Nigeria – Partey played 90 minutes but Ghana and Nigeria remained locked at 0-0 ahead of their World Cup qualifier second leg
France 2-1 Ivory Coast – Saliba made his France debut, coming on for 31 minutes. Pepe played 84 minutes for the Ivory Coast and scored their only goal. Guendouzi played the final 15 minutes and assisted France’s winner.

Saturday, March 26th

England's defender Ben White (L) vies with Switzerland's midfielder Steven Zuber (R) during the international friendly football match between England and Switzerland at Wembley stadium in north London on March 26, 2022. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images) — England’s defender Ben White (L) vies with Switzerland’s midfielder Steven Zuber (R) during the international friendly football match between England and Switzerland at Wembley stadium in north London on March 26, 2022. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Finland 1-1 Iceland – Runarsson played 90 minutes for Iceland
Ireland 2-2 Belgium – Lokonga was an unused substitute
England 2-1 Switzerland – White played 90 minutes for England, whilst Xhaka played 90 for Switzerland

Monday, March 28th

Konstantinos Mavropanos in training with the Greece national team (Photo via Mavropanos on Twitter)

Montenegro 1-0 Greece – Mavropanos played 90 minutes for Greece

Tuesday, March 29th

Nigeria's Frank Onyeka (L) vies with Ghana's Thomas Partey (C) during the World Cup 2022 qualifying football match between Nigeria and Ghana at the National Stadium in Abuja on March 29, 2022. (Photo by Pius Utomi EKPEI / AFP) — Nigeria’s Frank Onyeka (L) vies with Ghana’s Thomas Partey (C) during the World Cup 2022 qualifying football match between Nigeria and Ghana at the National Stadium in Abuja on March 29, 2022. (Photo by Pius Utomi EKPEI / AFP)

Switzerland 1-1 Kosovo – Xhaka played 62 minutes in his 100th game for Switzerland
Senegal 1-0 Egypt – Elneny played 70 minutes for Egypt, who lost the game to send their World Cup play-off to penalties as it finished 1-1 on aggregate. Egypt then missed three penalties to lose the shootout and miss out on the World Cup
Nigeria 1-1 Ghana – Partey played 90 minutes and scored the vital away goal for Ghana to send them to the World Cup
Norway 9-0 Armenia – Odegaard played 90 minutes and provided two assists from his five chances created. He set up the fourth and eighth goals of the game
Belgium 3-0 Burkina Faso – Lokonga was an unused substitute
England 3-0 Ivory Coast – White made his second start of the break, playing 45 minutes, and Smith Rowe came off the bench for the final 28 minutes. Pepe played 45 minutes for the opposition
Spain 5-0 Iceland – Runarsson played 90 minutes for Iceland
Northern Ireland 0-1 Hungary – Ballard played 82 minutes for Northern Ireland and was praised despite the defeat
Portugal 2-0 North Macedonia – Cedric was an unused substitute as Portugal qualified for the World Cup
Austria 2-2 Scotland – Tierney played 90 minutes and provided an assist for Scotland, setting up their second goal
France 5-0 South Africa – Saliba played 90 minutes on his first start for France and helped them keep a clean sheet, Guendouzi came off the bench for 11 minutes to score

Wednesday, March 30th

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA: Gabriel Martinelli of Brazil takes a shot during a match between Bolivia and Brazil as part of a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Qualifier at Hernando Siles Stadium on March 29, 2022. (Photo by Javier Mamani/Getty Images)

Bolivia 0-4 Brazil – Martinelli came off the bench for 36 minutes
Chile 0-2 Uruguay – Torreira played 74 minutes for Uruguay