Reds on international duty
Patrice Evra’s France have a difficult task on their hands against Ukraine tonight to reach the World Cup finals next summer as they must overturn the 2-0 first-leg deficit handed to them in Kiev on Friday but, backed by a partisan crowd at the Stade de France in Paris, they will still feel they have a chance of reaching Brazil 2014.
Manager Didier Deschamps is set to make five changes to the team that lost the first leg, but Evra is expected to keep his place in the side as France have one last shot at booking a place at the World Cup.
Patrice's Manchester United team-mate Nani is in a better position as his Portugal side are defending a 1-0 lead against Sweden going into the second leg of their play-off in Stockholm. Ex-Red Cristiano Ronaldo scored the goal that gives the Portuguese a slender advantage going into the match at Friends Arena.
Several other Reds are involved in friendlies with their respective countries, including Marouane Fellaini and Shinji Kagawa, who could face each other when Belgium meet Japan in Brussels.
"I'm looking forward to having a team-mate as an opponent," Kagawa told the newspapers recently. "But it's not a one-on-one match-up - I hope we win as a team."
Wayne Rooney, Chris Smalling and Tom Cleverley have all been named in England’s side to take on Germany at Wembley, while Antonio Valencia’s Ecuador play Honduras in Houston.
Michael Keane, Wilfried Zaha, Jesse Lingard and Nick Powell are in the England Under-21s squad for their Euro 2015 qualifier against San Marino.
Schedule:
Tues 19 Nov,
World Cup play-offsPatrice Evra: FRANCE v Ukraine (0-2) 20:00 GMT unless stated
Nani: Sweden v PORTUGAL (0-1), 19:45
Nani: Sweden v PORTUGAL (0-1), 19:45
FriendliesWayne Rooney, Chris Smalling, Tom Cleverley: ENGLAND v Germany
Marouane Fellaini, Shinji Kagawa: BELGIUM v JAPAN
Antonio Valencia: Honduras v ECUADOR, 02:00 on 20 Nov
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