Everton and Frank Lampard will be glad to see the back of Premier League football for the next six weeks as club football around the world breaks for the 2022 World Cup.
The Toffees blew their final chance of entering the winter with optimism following Saturday's dismal 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth. Frank Lampard's side were unable to find any reply to goals from Marcus Tavernier, Kieffer Moore and Jaidon Anthony, failing to score for the third league game in a row.
They will spend the next six weeks and Christmas Day 17th, just a place off the bottom three. Luckily, Lampard will have the majority of his squad on hand to sort things out at Finch Farm, but a select few will be heading to Qatar to represent their nations.
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Here's the Echo's guide to Everton players heading to Qatar and some of the key omissions.
England: Jordan Pickford and Conor Coady
Half of Everton's World Cup contingent will be in the England squad, with Gareth Southgate naming Jordan Pickford and Conor Coady in his 26-man travelling party.
Pickford - keen to put Saturday's mistake for the opening goal behind him - has been outstanding for Everton this season and remains Southgate's first-choice goalkeeper, much to the derision of some rival fans. Meanwhile, Coady has been one of the in-form English defenders this season, and Southgate is a known admirer of the 29-year-old's qualities in the dressing room.
England kick off their tournament next Monday against Iran before facing the USA and Wales.
Belgium: Amadou Onana
Just five months after his international debut, Toffees midfielder Amadou Onana was named in the Belgium squad as they look to find the glory that has evaded the 'Golden Generation' for so long.
The 21-year-old has just two caps to his name but has impressed Belgium manager and former Everton boss Roberto Martinez with his dynamic and mature performances in a blue shirt.
The Red Devils face Canada in their opener on Wednesday, November 23, followed by meetings with Morocco and Croatia.
Senegal: Idrissa Gueye
Senegal qualified for their second consecutive World Cup when they beat Egypt on penalties in March, and Idrissa Gueye learned of his place in the 26-man travelling party earlier this week.
With 96 caps under his belt, the 33-year-old could overtake Henri Camara (98) to become Senegal’s most-capped international if he features in all three of their up-and-coming group stage fixtures.
The Lions of Teranga kick off their tournament against Netherlands next Monday, before facing Qatar and Senegal - they could face England in the round-of-16, should they finish second and the Three Lions win Group B or vice versa.
Staying at home
Everton had a few more contenders to make the England squad, although the trio of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anthony Gordon and James Tarkowski were always on the fringes of Southgate's 26-man core. Calvert-Lewin had returned to fitness in time to throw his name in the hat, but a triple injury blow last week swiftly removed the striker from contention.
Gordon's early-season form earned him the label of late contender, but a string of quiet performances and a recently broken hand was enough to kill that momentum, while Southgate opted to pick the likes of Harry Maguire, Eric Dier and teammate Coady over Tarkowski.
Full-back pair Nathan Patterson and Vitalli Mykolenko would have been in their respective national squads, had Scotland or Ukraine managed to make it to Qatar, while Alex Iwobi's hope of representing Nigeria in the Middle East ended when they lost to Ghana in March.
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