It is as best a double-edged sword to be calle up for one’s country. On one hand, it is one of the penultimate compliments a player can receive to be summoned. On the other, it exposes the player to possible callumny if not catastrophe. It was just a season ago that we lost Gabriel Jesus to injury while he played for the Seleção in the winter World Cup as an example of how perilous international duty can be. At another extreme, Saka’s penalty miss in the Euro 2020 final arguably fueled his fire. He’s now a Ballon D’Or nominee and deservedly so. International duty,, double-edged sword though it may be, signals the rise of this squad.

It’s one thing to have players named to their country’s squads when they represent, say, Gabon (Aubameyang), Switzerland (Xhaka), or the USA (Turner). Without any disrespect, such countries are minnows on the international stage, and it doesn’t say much for those players to be selected. However, among other augurs, we’re seeing more and more of our current squad being selected to represent their countries, and that’s a positive proxy for them but also for the Arsenal. With that in mind, let’s give them a quick roll-call.

Gabriel Magalhães
Despite being back-benched for the first three matches, our Brazilian centre-back has a chance at earning his first cap, having been summoned to the Seleção to face Bolivia and Peru in World Cup 2026 qualifying matches. With other Brazilian defenders ageing out, Magalhães has a shot at his first international cap, which would add some sheen to his reputatoin as one of the best CBs in the Prem.

Gabriel Martinelli
While it’s true that Martinelli already has six caps, he, like Magalhães, is on the rise and has a quite a few points to prove. Those six caps amount to a grand total of 189 minutes, roughly 31 minutes per appearance. He’s just 22 and plays at a position that Brazil are stocked at, but he could very well be on ths cusp of a breakthrough.

William Saliba
Our Rolls Royce may already have collected a grand total of eight international caps for Les Bleus, but it’s starting to feel more and more like he’ll become an integral player for France. Other CBs such as Pavard or Upamecano or Hernandez face various questions around their fitness, mental, physical or otherwise, while Saliba is a nailed-on starter for one of the most-competitive squads in one of the most-competitive leagues in the world.

Kai Havertz
Despite his travails at Chelsea and his uneven adjustment to life at the better end of London, Havertz will represent the Germany NT. Given the wealth of midfield options available to Hansi Flick, this may come as a bit of a slap in the face to those keyboard warriors who insist that Havertz is a complete and utter flop. It’s almost as if playing for five different managers in three years, not to mention the addition of a ruck of other midfielders, might have disrupted a player’s development ever so slightly.

Eddie Nketiah
Could it be? Is it possible that those same keyboard warriors who are so hell-bent on destroying Havertz and Nketiah might maybe, possibly, be just a bit off-kilter? Our own Hale End boy, Eddie Nketiah, he who got Lindelof and Lisandro booked, has gotten his second call-up after first earning one back in August. It’s no small feat to be summoned when Southgate’s other options include media darlings like Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford (apologies to non-media darling Callum Wilson). Still, those three are nailed-on starters for their clubs, so it’s a testament to the journeyman Nketiah to get the call.

From there, we have the other naile-on starters for their various national sides: Gabriel Jesus, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Oleksandr Zinchenkco, Jorginho, Jakub Kiwior, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Leandro Trossard, and Martin Ødegaard. Aaron Ramsdale is hot on Pickford’s heels, and David Raya is hot on Ramsdale’s.

That’s 16 players on international duty. It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen that many of our own reach this level. On one hand, it’s a risk, because each match played offers another chance at injury. Then again, on the other hand, each match played offers another chance at redemption or inspiration. One moment, be it for good or ill, can propel a player to the next level in his development. We as fans from countries across the globe may have misgivings about international commitments

That’s 16 players on international duty. It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen that many of our own reach this level. On one hand, it’s a risk, because each match played offers another chance at injury. Then again, on the other hand, each match played offers another chance at redemption or inspiration. One moment, be it for good or ill, can propel a player to the next level in his development. We as fans from countries across the globe may have misgivings about international commitments​, given the risks they pose to the Arsenal itself and the long odds those national teams face.

Still, it’s a valuable and perhaps even powerful proxy for assessing our own progress. It wasn’t that long ago that we could count on one hand the number of players in the squad who represented their national sides. Here we are now needing three hands and another digit to get to 16​—and we should be clamouring at the injustice. Why is Ben White being overlooked?

Okay, so maybe that’s the only “injustice”. Still, it should tell you something that ten of our usual XI have been selected and that most of them will log heavy minutes. That’s a May they all remain rooted to the bench in order to return to their club commitments hale and hearty.