Who are the four Bristol City players that are on international duty?

Twice already in the 2021/22 campaign we’ve had to pause whilst World Cup qualifiers take place for the showpiece event in Qatar next year.

This is the final round of fixtures until at least March now, which will come as a welcome relief for those who need a club fix and aren’t a fan of internationals.

Others meanwhile will be happy after only winning once since the last break, and can give Nigel Pearson’s side a bit of a reset.

A majority of the first-team squad will remain at the High Performance Centre, continuing to train for their next match against Blackburn Rovers on November 20.

There are a number of players however who have had the privilege to represent their country.

A mix of first-team players, as well as some fringe and academy players will play at senior and age-group levels.

Reliable defender Tomáš Kalas has been called up to the Czech Republic squad where he could play a part in two matches.

The Czechs play Kuwait in a friendly on November 11, before playing their final group fixture against Estonia four days later.

Kalas and his side are in direct competition with Wales for the runners-up spot, which would guarantee them a place in March’s play-offs.

They lead Wales on the virtue of goal difference and will hope that the Red Dragons are unable to pick up any points against Belarus or Belgium.

The 28-year-old played in all five of their games at the European Championships this summer and will want a further taste of playing in a major tournament.

Another player involved in World Cup qualifying is Callum O’Dowda, who has been drafted into Stephen Kenny’s Republic of Ireland squad.

The winger wasn’t included in the original squad but has replaced Cardiff City’s James Collins, earning him his first call-up since March.

The 26-year-old made a welcome return to the starting eleven on Saturday in the 3-2 defeat to Coventry City. Prior to that, he had been an unused substitute and hadn’t started a game since the start of October.

After being called up, he could find himself lining up against Cristiano Ronaldo, who earlier this year overtook Ali Daei as the all-time record goal scorer in international football.

Portugal are Ireland’s first opponents, playing at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday, before the Bhoys in Green rounding their campaign off with a trip to Luxembourg on Sunday.

For Ireland, they are playing for pride given they are fourth and unable to finish in the top two. Their performance in the Nations League also means they won't be participating in the play-offs.

Moving on to age-grade football, first-team player Alex Scott has been called up to the England Under-19s squad by Ian Foster.

The 18-year-old, who signed a four-year contract in the summer has been thrust into the first-team after joining from Guernsey in December and has not looked back since.

Scott first played for England U18s in March 2021, before making his U19s debut in September. He has ten Championship appearances under his belt this season with a goal and assist.

His performances against the likes of Italy, Germany, France and Belgium have given him a place in the squad which will attempt to get through to the Elite Round of the U19 Championship.

The young Three Lions jet off to Scandinavia to play Andorra, Switzerland then hosts Sweden, with action beginning on Wednesday 10 November and concluding on Tuesday 16 November.

Sam Pearson, who will have crossed paths with Scott, has also been called up for duty. The 20-year-old has been called up to represent Wales at Under-21 level, having played four times already.

Managed by Paul Bodin, Wales have an away match against Gibraltar on November 12 before playing at Rodney Parade on November 16.

There are other internationals in the first-team ranks such as Nahki Wells, Chris Martin and, Kasey Palmer, though they have not been chosen this time or in Wells’ case, his country do not have any matches to play.

Though not contracted to Bristol City anymore, a player of intrigue is Joe Wollacott, now at Swindon Town. The shot-stopper left the club in the summer but has since become an international for Ghana.

The 25-year-old, who hails from Bristol, made his debut last month in two consecutive wins over Zimbabwe.