The 2022 FIFA World Cup is set to pause the domestic European season this year, including the Premier League. Newcastle will host Chelsea on the 12th of November and then they will not play again until they travel to Leicester on the 26th of December.
Here is a look at four Newcastle players who have a great chance of making their country’s squad for the tournament and could even play a big role in the competition.
Sven Botman (Netherlands)
Centre-back Sven Botman has impressed since arriving from Lille back in the summer for £35 million. The Dutchman has strengthened Newcastle’s defensive line and he looks set to get even better with more experience. The Netherlands are lucky to have some world-class centre-backs, with Virgil van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt being the most notable. Botman looks the latest to add his name to that list over the new few years.
Botman’s performances for Newcastle are likely to have caught the attention of Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal. The former Manchester United boss knows exactly what the standard is like in the Premier League.
The 2010 runners-up will face hosts Qatar, Ecuador, and Senegal in Group A at the World Cup. They will be expected to advantage into the knockout stages of the tournament, at the very least.
Bruno Guimaraes (Brazil)
As of the 28th of September, Brazil is the 9/2 favourite in the latest World Cup betting markets to win the 2022 World Cup. The five-time winners will have the Toon’s star midfielder Bruno Guimaraes in their squad.
The Brazilian has seen sensational for the club since arriving from Lyon back in January. He has proved to be one of Newcastle’s best signings in recent history. The fact that one of Brazil’s leading players features for the Magpies says a lot about the club’s appeal.
Guimaraes has played eight times for Brazil. His sole goal for his country so far came from Bolivia earlier this year in a World Cup qualifier. He was part of the Brazil squad, which was successful at the Summer Olympics in 2020, and now he will be hoping to help them to victory in the World Cup.
Newcastle’s Brazilian star can light up Qatar and it would be no surprise to see him in contention for the Player of the Tournament award at the end of the competition.
Fabian Schar (Switzerland)
With 71 appearances for his country, centre-back Fabian Schar is one of Switzerland’s most experienced players. He has featured for his country since 2013, scoring eight goals in that period.
The World Cup in Qatar will be Schar’s third of his career. He helped Switzerland reach the last 16 in Brazil in 2014 where they were beaten by Argentina after extra time, while four years later, they lost 1-0 to Sweden in the opening knockout stage.
Schar has been a regular in the heart of Howe’s defence this season and has been in excellent form. This is his fifth year at the club, and he has over 100 appearances for the Toon now. He will be a key player for the Swiss team if they are to advance through to the latter stages of the competition.
Kieran Trippier (England)
Competition for Gareth Southgate’s England squad is very high ahead of the World Cup, particularly at full-back. The advantage Newcastle’s Kieran Tripper has over a lot of players competing for a place on the plane to Qatar is that he has a lot of experience in playing major tournaments. He was the player who scored England’s goal in their semi-final encounter with Croatia at the 2018 World Cup.
Southgate is a big fan of Trippier, as he knows he is a player who is very versatile. He can play on either side of the defence, and even in a midfield role, should he need to fit in there due to injuries. He is now over his own injury problems which he suffered earlier in the season.
Tripper is also a very good set-piece taker, which is why Southgate may opt to include him in his squad. In tight games at a major tournament, he could prove to be a match-winner from a free kick.
Hopefully, one of the four players can help lead their country to World Cup success, which will be a great achievement from a Newcastle representative.
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