With the international break creeping up this week, nations have been announcing their latest rosters for the upcoming matches. Crystal Palace have revealed that nine of their players will be making the trip home to participate with their countries’ national team.
A number of these matches are crucial qualifiers for nations to reach the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Defensive midfielder Mile Jedinak will kick off first among the rest of the Palace players, as Australia take on Tajikistan on Thursday, March 24th.
It has also been reported that Jedinak is set to be the skipper for the Australian side.
If the 31-year-old should feature in these matches, he’ll tie Crystal Palace’s record as the most capped international of all time, equaling ex-midfielder Aki Riihilahti’s 36 caps for Finland.
If the Socceroos are able to grab two wins this break against Tajikistan and Jordan, most likely the side would progress into the next AFC qualification stage.
In Africa, fan-favorite Yannick Bolasie will join up with DR Congo to take on group leaders Angola in a double header.
In addition, left-back Pape Souare will help Senegal reach the next round if they claim two wins against Niger.
29-year-old defender Adrian Mariappa will join up with Jamaica to face tough opposition against Costa Rica in the CONCACAF region. The Reggae Boyz currently sit third in their group B, shown below. If they are able to grab two wins against Costa Rica, they will propel themselves into a spot that will push them on to the next phase. In addition, Jamaica are preparing for a busy summer in the centennial Copa America taking place in the USA in June.
GROUP B
| Team | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts. |
| Panama | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Costa Rica | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Jamaica | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
| Haiti | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
However, players from Europe will have less pressure this international break as their nations will partake in friendly matches. Yohan Cabaye will join France, hoping to nail down a spot before Euro 2016. Meanwhile, Joe Ledley, Wayne Hennessey and Jonny Williams will take on Northern Ireland and Ukraine for Chris Coleman’s Welsh squad.
