The first international break of the 2022/23 season has been a mixed bag for Arsenal's senior players in terms of call-ups.
As many as 10 members of Mikel Arteta's first-team squad - including William Saliba, Thomas Partey, Bukayo Saka, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Granit Xhaka - have been selected by their respective nations, but the likes of Ben White, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli were left out.
Now, this may have been the final window of opportunity for players to stake their claim to be involved at this year's World Cup which did not take place in its usual June-July slot because of the intense heat in Qatar around summertime and will instead get underway on November 20.
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With that said, because of the fixture congestion facing Arsenal in October - they play nine times across two competitions - there is enough time for Jesus, Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes, in particular, to force their way into the Brazil set-up before the squad is announced from October 20 onwards.
However, with The Telegraph reporting that Gareth Southgate will name the England squad on October 21, it leaves White with a race against the clock to change the Three Lions manager's mind. Although FIFA's announcement that every nation can name a 26-man squad could work in his favour.
A statement reads: "Given the need to retain additional flexibility due to the unique timing of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in the global calendar, as well as the broader context of the disruptive effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on squads before and during tournaments, the Bureau has decided the following... The maximum number of players on the release list has been increased from 35 to 55.
"The number of players to be included on the final list has been increased to at least 23 and a maximum of 26. The final matchday at club level for the 23 to 26 players nominated on the final list will be 13 November 2022. No more than 26 people (up to 15 substitutes and 11 team officials – one of these officials must be the team doctor) will be allowed to sit on the team bench."
This was the case for White at Euro 2020 as he benefitted from Southgate being permitted to name a 26-man squad instead of 23 and was a late addition following an injury to Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold - something that caught the former Brighton and Hove Albion defender by surprise.
"It's been very surreal, obviously I didn't think this was going to be happening," he said, as per Sky Sports. "I thought I was going to be somewhere hot, in Portugal or something like that. It's mind-blowing really I didn't expect any of this to happen, even being in the 33-man squad was enough for me.
"To make it to the final squad was unbelievable. I got a call from someone at Brighton telling me the manager was going to call me and I was just waiting for the call."
So, confirmation that managers can name a 26-man squad for an international tournament once again should give hope to White that all is not lost in terms of his England World Cup chances and the same applies to the aforementioned Brazilian quartet as well as those on the periphery of their national sides such as Albert Sambi Lokonga.
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