Seven Southampton players have left the club to join their national teams for the September and October international break. The squad, currently 13th in the Championship standings with 10 points from eight games, will be without the group for the next fortnight.
Cyle Larin, the club's top scorer this season with seven goals, is set to receive a Key to the City of Brampton in recognition of his international achievements with Canada. He will then link up with the national team for friendlies against Chile, Peru and the United States. His recent form for Saints, including a brace in the 4-1 win over Bristol City, underlines his importance to both club and country.
Kuryu Matsuki has earned a first senior call-up for Japan after 18 appearances for the Under-23 side. The 23-year-old midfielder will be part of a squad playing three friendly matches. His club goal against Bristol City came just days before this significant personal milestone.
Republic of Ireland's Nations League campaign begins with Ryan Manning and Finn Azaz in their squad. They will face Israel, whose goalkeeper Daniel Peretz is also on international duty for those matches and a subsequent fixture against Kosovo.
At Under-21 level, Romeu Akachukwu is with the Republic of Ireland for UEFA European Championship qualifiers, while Divin Mubama joins the England U21 setup. All international fixtures are scheduled between 24 September and 7 October.
With domestic action paused, the focus shifts to the players representing their countries. Southampton will regroup ahead of a key South Coast derby against Portsmouth at home on 11 October, their next fixture as listed on the club's fixtures page.
This story first appeared at Southampton FC Official Site
