Rangers are finally playing well this season thanks to Philippe Clement. Even though they are still trailing their fierce rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, the Gers go into the international break in excellent form having won seven of their last eight games.
There have been some standout players for the Gers this season. Abdallah Sima has been playing brilliantly, James Tavernier has been his usual spectacular self, and all in all, the team is playing excellently.
This has led to some call-ups for international duty. Six, to be exact. Here are the first-team stars that could be set to feature for their countries over the next week.
Ryan Jack and Robby McCrorie (Scotland)
Ryan Jack and Robby McCrorie have both been called up to the Scottish national side.
Who are they facing?
Scotland has two games, which are both EURO 2024 qualifiers. Their fixtures are as follows:
- Thursday, November 16, 2023, 5:00 PM BST: Scotland vs. Georgia
- Sunday, November 19, 2023, 7:45 PM BST: Scotland vs Norway
Are they likely to play?
Neither of them is a typical Scotland opener. Jack is the more likely of the two to play, with 17 caps to his name.
McCrorie as a goalkeeper is not even number one for the Gers, so will definitely struggle for minutes unless something drastic happens for the Scottish national side.
Jose Cifuentes (Ecuador)
Jose Cifuentes has been called up to the Ecuadorian national side.
Who are they facing?
Ecuador has two games, which are both CONMEBOL World Cup Qualification games. These are their scheduled events.
- Thursday, November 16, 2023, at 10:00 PM BST: Ecuador vs. Venezuela
- On Sunday, November 19, 2023, at 11:30 PM BST, Ecuador will play Chile.
Are they likely to play?
Cifuentes should feature at some point for Ecuador.
In the team’s most recent matchup with Bolivia, the £1.2 million player played 56 minutes, marking his 18th cap. These should be excellent games to watch if you enjoy South American football.
Abdallah Sima (Senegal)
Abdallah Sima has been called up to the Senegalese national side.
Who are they facing?
Senegal has two games, which are both CAF World Cup Qualification games. The following are their schedules.
- Saturday, November 18, 2023, 7:00 PM BST: South Sudan vs. Senegal
- Senegal vs. Togo on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at 3 PM BST
Are they likely to play?
Probably not. Despite some decent goalscoring form for the Gers, Sima has managed just two caps for his country.
This comes as no surprise, with Senegal boasting a plethora of immense attacking talent. It is encouraging to see him contributing to the squad, though. He’ll be put through his paces by the coaching staff on the training ground.
Ridvan Yilmaz (Turkey)
Ridvan Yilmaz has been called up to the Turkish national side.
Who are they facing?
Turkey has two games, one friendly and one EURO 2024 Qualifier. The following are their schedules.
- Friendly match between Turkey and Germany on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at 7:45 PM BST
- Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at 7:45 p.m. BST: Wales versus Turkey
Are they likely to play?
Two huge games, but will Yilmaz feature? Probably not.
You have to go back all the way to November 2022 for Yimaz’s last national appearance, where he earned only his third cap.
Ross McCausland (Northern Ireland)
The Northern Ireland national team has called up Ross McCausland.
Who are they facing?
The two matches for Northern Ireland are both EURO 2024 qualifiers. These are their scheduled events.
- Friday, November 17, 2023, at 5:00 PM BST: Finland vs. Northern Ireland
- Denmark vs. Northern Ireland on Monday, November 20, 2023, at 7:45 PM BST
Are they likely to play?
McCausland’s fine performances in Scotland have earned the 20-year-old his first-ever senior international call-up.
It is unknown as to whether he’ll feature, but a debut could be the right time now given his recent fine form.
