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SAINTS’ £16m record signing Sofiane Boufal has the chance to find form with national team Morocco this week after a frustrating period at St Mary’s.
The tricky attacking midfielder, who arrived from Lille last summer, has struggled with injuries this term and of late has found playing chances limited.
With Claude Puel finding a settled team in the 4-2-3-1, Boufal has been behind Dusan Tadic, Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse in the pecking order for a starting role.
But, ahead of a busy month, the 23-year-old, who has made 20 appearances in all competitions this term, can get some much-needed minutes under his belt while out on duty with Morocco.
Saints are heading into six Premier League games in April, having just come off the back of a quiet March, which included just two games.
And with such a flurry of games on the horizon, Puel will be looking to utilise his whole squad.
That is good news for Boufal and he’ll be aiming to start a demanding period positively with his country.
Morocco face Burkina Faso and Tunisia in Marrakesh in a double header of friendlies.
Harve Renard’s side face Burkina Faso on Thursday, before the Tunisia match on Monday.
In total 13 Saints men are out on national team duty over this international break, with an impressive six of those joining up with England squads.
As has been reported, James Ward-Prowse and Nathan Redmond have joined Ryan Bertrand and Fraser Forster in the Three Lions senior team for the first time.
Gareth Southgate’s men face Germany in a friendly in Dortmund tomorrow night before welcoming Lithuania to Wembley in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday.
There are two St Mary’s players in the England Under-21s squad, with Sam McQueen joining Jack Stephens for his first call-up, as Aidy Boothroyd’s side prepare for the Under-21 European Championships in Poland this June.
The Young Lions face Germany in Wiesbaden on Friday and then take on Denmark in at the BioNutria Park in Randers on Monday in back-to-back friendly games.
Meanwhile Cedric Soares links back up with his fellow Euro 2016-winning team-mates as Portugal take on Hungary in a World Cup qualifier.
Fernando Santos’ side host their third-placed opponents in a potentially pivotal encounter before welcoming Sweden in a friendly a week today.
Shane Long will be hoping to keep the Republic of Ireland ahead of Dusan Tadic’s Serbia in World Cup qualifying Group D this international break.
They host Wales in a qualifier in Dublin this Friday as they look to retain top place in the group. Martin O’Neill’s side then play Iceland at home in a friendly a week today.
Tadic and Serbia are just behind the Irish in second and they will look to keep the heat on at the top against Georgia in Tblisi in their own qualifier.
Meanwhile, Saints captain Steven Davis will lead Northern Ireland out for their World Cup qualifier against Norway at Windsor Park on Sunday.
And Maya Yoshida has been picked for Japan for their World Cup qualifying matches against UAE and Thailand.
The Samurai Blue hope to take a step towards the finals in Russia when they visit UAE on Thursday, before hosting Thailand a week today.
And, last but not least, Cuco Martina is heading out to the Caribbean for a friendly against El Salvador with his nation Curacao.
The island nation play the friendly as they prepare for the Caribbean Cup finals in the summer.
Saints on international duty:
Tomorrow
Germany v England (Ward-Prowse, Redmond, Bertrand, Forster) (friendly)
(Martina) Curacao v El Salvador (friendly)
Thursday 23 March
UAE v Japan (Yoshida) (WCQ)
(Boufal) Morocco v Burkina Faso (friendly)
Friday 24 March
(Long) Republic of Ireland v Wales (WCQ)
Georgia v Serbia (Tadic) (WCQ)
Germany Under-21s v England Under-21s (McQueen, Stephens) (friendly)
Saturday 25 March
(Cedric) Portugal v Hungary – (WCQ)
Sunday 26 March
(Davis) Northern Ireland v Norway (WCQ)
(Ward-Prowse, Redmond, Bertrand, Forster) England v Lithuania (WCQ)
Monday 27 March
(Boufal) Morocco v Tunisa (friendly)
Denmark Under-21s v England Under-21s (McQueen, Stephens) (friendly)
Tuesday 28 March
(Cedric) Portugal v Sweden (friendly)
(Yoshida) Japan v Thailand (WCQ)
(Long) Republic of Ireland v Iceland (friendly)
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