Saturday 13 June 2015 18:25, UK
An international weekend can leave club fans disgruntled at the disruption to the domestic season but it's a welcome return to European Qualifiers this time around.
It will give the same supporters the chance to cast an eye on a number of touted transfer targets, or indeed new arrivals, with the rumour mill having kicked into gear already.
WhoScored.com takes a look at a handful of players tipped for, or having already made a summer switch to the Premier League that are set to be in action for their respective nations in the coming days.
Memphis Depay - Netherlands (vs Latvia)
After an awful start to their qualifying group, the Netherlands sit third and are relying on the new era of Dutch talent to lead the revival, particularly in the absence of the injured Arjen Robben. Memphis Depay will be at the forefront of that charge and having already signed for United, Red Devils fans will be keen to watch him in action against Latvia on Friday night. The winger's game is based on his power and pace, enabling him to score 22 league goals and average 2.7 dribbles per game in the Eredivisie. His exploits were enough to warrant a statistical rating of 7.92 from WhoScored, ranking second in Holland's top-flight.
Gregory van der Wiel - Netherlands (vs Latvia)
Another player on international duty for the Netherlands who is tipped to link up with Depay at Old Trafford is PSG right-back Gregory van der Wiel, who has seemingly been made available this summer. Having broken through as a youngster at Ajax, the 27-year-old earned a move to the French capital three years ago. A WhoScored rating of 7.03 was down on the previous Ligue 1 campaign (7.13) but the full-back still garnered impressive defensive averages, including 2.2 tackles and 2.1 interceptions per game. Meanwhile, a solid 0.9 accurate crosses per match and excellent 89.4% pass accuracy are certainly likely to appease Louis van Gaal's possession based approach.
Kevin De Bruyne - Belgium (vs Wales)
Rumoured to be interesting Manchester City after a phenomenal campaign with Wolfsburg, former Chelsea man Kevin De Bruyne may well feel he has a point to prove in England. He certainly showcased just what he is capable of back in the Bundesliga last season, with 10 goals and a leading figure of 20 assists across Europe's top 5 leagues. The 23-year old picked up a superb rating of 7.95 from WhoScored, which was the highest score of any player to start more than 20 matches in Germany's top-flight, and will be a central figure in a key battle between Belgium and Wales at the top of group B.
Mateo Kovacic - Croatia (vs Italy)
Another crucial top of the table battle will see Croatia host Italy in group H, with Inter youngster Mateo Kovacic already having become a regular fixture in Niko Kovac's side. The 21-year-old was given more licence to get forward last season, netting 5 goals in Serie A, and plays in an advanced position more often than not for his nation. It is his ability to beat an opponent that has perhaps most attracted the interest of the likes of Liverpool, averaging 2.6 dribbles per game in 2014/15.
William Carvalho - Portugal (vs Armenia)
An apparent long-time target of Arsenal and latterly Manchester United, Sporting's William Carvalho will line up for Portugal against Armenia on Saturday. The midfielder last season proved capable of cutting it with Europe's elite in the Champions League, picking up an average rating of 7.00 over seven appearances in Europe, including one Europa League outing. With an impressive 57.5 passes per game he led the way for the Portuguese outfit in the Champions League group stages and displayed his ability to break up play with 2.2 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game to boot.
Ilkay Gundogan - Germany (vs Gibraltar)
Reportedly also on the wish lists of Arsene Wenger and Van Gaal, Ilkay Gundogan has made a successful return from a serious back injury and has been tipped to follow Jurgen Klopp out of Borussia Dortmund. Still only 24, the box-to-box midfielder still has plenty of time to rebuild his career after a lengthy lay-off and was back to his all-action self last season. With 3 goals, 4 assists and averages including 1.7 tackles, 1.7 key passes and a considerable 70.3 passes per game contributing towards a rating of 7.16 from WhoScored.com, Gundogan will be hoping to return to the form that made him an instant hit in Dortmund next time around, wherever that may be.
Yevhen Konoplyanka - Ukraine (vs Luxembourg)
Hoping to put pressure on Spain ahead of them in group C, Ukraine will be hoping for a sizeable scoreline against Luxembourg come Sunday. Yevhen Konolpyanka will want to get his name on the scoresheet then, in turn impressing a long list of suitors thought to include the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Stoke. The Dnipro winger had his say in the Ukrainian's unexpected passage to the Europa League final, despite perhaps not quite as much as he may have hoped, scoring once and picking up 3 assists. Nevertheless, a rating of 7.15 in the tournament from WhoScored, courtesy of 2.3 shots and 2.3 dribbles per game, was enough to highlight his threat on the flanks.
All statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com, where you can find more stats, including live in-game data and unique player and team ratings. You can follow all the scores, statistics, live player and team ratings with their new free-to-download iOS and Android app.
