Isak, Bruno Fernandes, Cody Gakpo and Patrick Dorgu have all joined the international break’s high-profile injury list after suffering issues that have curtailed their involvement in Nations League matches.

After playing in Portugal’s win over Wales on Thursday, Manchester United captain Fernandes was not in the squad for Sunday’s fixture against Norway.

Prior to the match boss Jorge Jesus revealed, external Fernandes had “played through the pain” against Wales and “wasn’t his usual self”.

“He played with an injury he brought from Manchester United,” he said. “He really wanted to play against Wales.”

Meanwhile, both Fernandes’ United team-mate Dorgu and Liverpool strikers Gakpo and Alexander Isak suffered injuries during games for their respective countries at the weekend.

Gakpo had to go off just 17 minutes into the Netherlands’ 2-1 win against Serbia, grimacing and holding the lower part of his right leg.

He has started the season well for Liverpool with two goals and four assists in six appearances across all competitions.

Netherlands boss Xavi Hernández confirmed Gakpo will have a scan on today.

Dorgu, lasted 30 minutes before he limped off in Denmark’s 2-0 win against Wales. Meanwhile,injured Isak has returned to Liverpool from Sweden duty with a minor thigh injury.

The striker played the full 90 minutes and scored a goal in his side’s 2-1 win on Friday over Romania in the Nations League.

However, he will not be involved in Sweden’s remaining three matches in this international break and assessed by his club’s medical staff.

On Thursday, Arsenal forward Kai Havertz and Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey both went off injured in the same game as the Netherlands drew with Germany.

German Havertz was caught on the knee by a high boot from Quinten Timber in Amsterdam and had to be replaced.

Netherlands forward Brobbey – off the back off a hat-trick in Sunderland’s 5-3 Premier League defeat by Manchester City – then appeared to suffer a muscle injury.

A further blow for Sunderland on this international break came as Dan Ballard suffered a hamstring injury late in Northern Ireland’s 1-0 win over Georgia on Friday.

Boss Michael O’Neill has confirmed the injury will rule him out of the national team’s remaining fixtures in this international break.

It is not just Premier League teams who are being impacted by injuries to their players while on international duty.

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe has been ruled out for at least two weeks after injuring his knee while scoring the winner in Zinedine Zidane’s first game in charge of France.

He scored a record-extending 67th goal from Michael Olise’s pass to sink Turkey, but he was limping immediately and had to be replaced five minutes later.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala suffered a muscle injury during the warm-up for the game against the Netherlands and had to withdraw..

The first international break of the 2026-27 men’s football season is lasting a week longer than it usually does, with the traditional October break now scrapped.

There is now a three-week gap for international fixtures across late September and early October, where countries will play four international matches instead of two.

International Break Injury List So Far

🚑 Kylian Mbappé

🚑 Jamal Musiala

🚑 Kai Havertz

🚑 Brian Brobbey

🚑 Alexander Isak

🚑 Daniel Ballard

🚑 Eric Garcia

🚑 Cody Gakpo

🚑 Patrick Dorgu

🚑 Bruno Fernandes

The Super Eagles have arrived in Bissau ahead of Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea-Bissau after opening their campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar.

Eric Chelle’s side touched down at the Aeroporto Internacional Osvaldo Vieira on Sunday evening, with Nigeria now preparing for an away challenge against a Guinea-Bissau side that also began the qualifiers with a victory.

Super Eagles arrive after Madagascar comeback
Nigeria had to fight back from behind to claim all three points in their opening Group L fixture at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

The squad travelled to Bissau less than 48 hours after that victory, with the players now facing another important test on Tuesday.

Nigeria’s arrival means preparations can begin in earnest for a fixture that could have an early bearing on the race for the qualifying spot in Group L.

Guinea-Bissau will enter the contest with confidence after securing an impressive 2-0 away victory over Tanzania in their opening fixture.

The result leaves Guinea-Bissau top of Group L on goal difference, although Nigeria are level with three points after their victory over Madagascar.

Tanzania are already guaranteed a place at AFCON 2027 as one of the tournament’s co-hosts, meaning Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar are competing for the qualifying place available to the highest-ranked non-host nation in the group.

Tuesday’s meeting at the Estádio Nacional 24 de Setembro therefore offers both sides an opportunity to strengthen their position early in the campaign.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 5pm Nigerian time, with the Super Eagles hoping their second Group L outing produces another three points on the road.

England captain Harry Kane is facing severe backlash from supporters, with the “choker” label dominating social media after his crucial penalty miss triggered a 3-2 UEFA Nations League defeat to Spain at Wembley Stadium on September 26.

England trailed in the second minute following an opening goal by Lamine Yamal, before mounting a rapid response.

Anthony Gordon equalised in the 36th minute, and Kane himself found the net in the 40th minute to give the hosts a 2-1 advantage heading into the interval.

The defining moment arrived in the second half when England were awarded a penalty. Converting the spot-kick would have handed the Three Lions a commanding 3-1 lead, effectively killing the game against the reigning World Cup champions. Instead, Kane failed to convert.

Spain ruthlessly punished the squandered opportunity. Álex Baena equalised in the 60th minute before Mikel Oyarzabal secured the 3-2 victory in the 74th minute, entirely reversing the match’s momentum.

Despite scoring in the first half, fans directed their frustration at the Bayern Munich striker, accusing him of single-handedly causing the defeat by failing to execute when the margins were tightest.

A recurring theme across digital platforms was the resurrection of the “choker” label. Supporters pointed to a career-long pattern of failing to deliver in definitive, high-pressure moments for the national team, arguing that his elite goalscoring records often mask a lack of clutch composure.

The outrage quickly intersected with the ongoing 2026 Ballon d’Or debate. Kane is considered a frontrunner for the October award after securing the 2025/26 European Golden Shoe, but fans argued that his Wembley miss invalidates his candidacy.

Opponents of his campaign argued that while rivals like Yamal and Kylian Mbappé dictate the outcome of high-stakes fixtures, Kane actively shrinks when the pressure peaks.

Kane’s failure against Spain mirrored his infamous penalty miss during the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against France in Al Khor.

During that December 10, 2022, clash, Kane successfully converted a 54th-minute penalty but blazed a crucial 84th-minute spot-kick over the crossbar, sealing a 2-1 exit for England.

While Kane remains the most prolific penalty taker in England’s history, having scored 25 international spot kicks, these glaring high-profile misses have raised questions over his nerve in important moments.