Championship action has come to halt for the next two weeks as Sunderland's international contingent link-up with their respective countries. The Black Cats have seven players away from the Academy of Light on international duty in recognition for their impressive performances this season.
Anthony Patterson has earned his first call-up to England U21s and will be hoping to make his competitive bow for the Three Lions and is part of Lee Carsley's 26-man squad that's littered with upcoming talent.
Back on Wearside, Tony Mowbray is hoping to get some players back from injury but admits some of those away on international duty may miss Friday night's clash with Burnley. “We have got seven or eight going away, Mowbray said. "If eight are going away and we’ve got 16, we’ve got eight in training. We will work on them as individuals.
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“If they are wingers, we will work on their crossing and delivery into the box. If they are strikers, we will work on their finishing. If they are defenders, we will work on their defensive qualities.
“We are here to try and improve the players and over international breaks, you haven’t got all of your team so we can’t really work on the team. The ideal scenario would be that you work on your team for two weeks and get really ready for the next game.
"The reality is we’re playing Friday night against Burnley and three or four of them won’t be back until Wednesday so we will have one day to prepare them for Burnley.
“They’ll have played a game elsewhere and flown back the next day but probably won’t be quite ready for it. It’s never easy and it sounds like excuses but I’m just trying to be realistic and talk about the problems that you have.”
Here's a look at when and where Sunderland's internationals are in action:
Jewison Bennette
Sunderland winger Jewison Bennette has been called-up to Costa Rica’s squad for their upcoming CONCACAF Nations League games. They'll travel Martinique on Saturday 25 March before hosting Panama on Tuesday 28 March in San Jose.
Bennette was part of the Costa Rican squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and has 10 caps for his country with both of his goals coming in a friendly tie during a 2-2 draw with South Korea last year.
Dan Ballard and Trai Hume
Sunderland's Dan Ballard and Trai Hume have been included in the Northern Ireland squad for their Euro 2024 qualifying double-header. The Wearside duo are part of a 26-man party named by Michael O'Neill for the home games against San Marino and Finland at Windsor Park, although Sunderland skipper Corry Evans misses out after his season-ending cruciate ligament injury.
Northern Ireland take on San Marino on Thursday, March 23, and then face Finland on Sunday, March 26 O'Neill's squad also includes former Sunderland men in Middlesbrough's Paddy McNair and Leicester City's Jonny Evans, while two more former Black Cats - Shrewsbury Town's Tom Flanagan and Linfield's Kyle Lafferty - miss out.
Abdoullah Ba and Edouard Michut
Edouard Michut and Abdoullah Ba have both been called up for France's Under-20 side for their month’s international matches in Marbella.
The midfield pair – who have previously represented Les Bleus at U19 level – will again don the French colours, this time for the U20s, as they take on the USA (March 22), Netherlands (March 25), and England (March 28).
Anthony Patterson England U21s
Patterson has received his first England U21 call-up with his outstanding form for Sunderland recognised by the Young Lions.
The academy graduate Patterson has been included in Lee Carsley's 26-man squad for the friendlies against France U21 at Leicester's King Power Stadium on Saturday, March 25, and Croatia U21 at Fulham's Craven Cottage on Tuesday, March 28.
Amad Diallo
Amad Diallo is the final player to have been called up for international duty, representing the senior Ivory Coast squad for the upcoming international break. The forward, who has nine goals in a red and white shirt this season, has been called up to Jean-Louis Gasset’s Ivorian squad for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign doubleheader against Comoros in Group H.
They'll host the small island nation on Friday 24 March in Bouake, before visiting Moroni on Tuesday 28 March for the reverse group fixture.
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