The international break is meant to be a pause, a chance for club managers to exhale and for players to wear a different color for a week or two. But somewhere between the anthem and the final whistle, the risk never truly leaves the pitch. A tackle arrives a fraction late. A hamstring tightens on a sprint that would have been routine in August. By Sunday evening, three more names had been added to a list that grows longer with each passing matchday, and the clubs waiting at home could only watch and hope.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was left out of Portugal's squad for Sunday's Nations League match against Norway after playing through an injury he had carried from Manchester United. Portugal manager Jorge Jesus said Fernandes "played through the pain" against Wales on Thursday and "wasn't his usual self." Jesus added that Fernandes told him he had been dealing with the problem for the last three games, which had hindered his performance .
Cody Gakpo, Liverpool's in-form forward, lasted just 16 minutes in the Netherlands' 2-1 win over Serbia before coming off with an injury to his lower right leg. He had started the season well, with two goals and four assists in six appearances across all competitions . The injury adds to Liverpool's concerns after Alexander Isak withdrew from Sweden duty with a minor thigh issue, though Isak had played and scored in Sweden's win over Romania before returning to Merseyside for assessment .
Patrick Dorgu, Fernandes's United teammate, limped off after 30 minutes of Denmark's 2-0 win over Wales. He went straight down the tunnel after being substituted, with the nature and severity of his problem not yet clear . Dorgu's withdrawal is the latest in a string of injury worries for Manchester United. Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo both pulled out of England's squad, Benjamin Sesko did not travel to Slovenia due to a setback in his recovery from a shin problem, and Amad Diallo remains sidelined with an ankle issue .
The timing is particularly difficult for United, who entered the international break 12th in the Premier League with five points from five matches, already out of the Carabao Cup. Manager Michael Carrick is under pressure to deliver results, and the extended absence of key players would complicate that task . The current international window is lasting a week longer than usual, with the traditional October break scrapped, meaning countries are playing four matches instead of two—more minutes, more travel, and more opportunities for the body to give way .
Bruno Fernandes, Cody Gakpo, and Patrick Dorgu all suffered injuries during the current international break. Fernandes played through pain for Portugal, Gakpo lasted 16 minutes for the Netherlands, and Dorgu limped off for Denmark. Their clubs await assessments as the injury list grows.
AI Image Disclaimer: The images in this article are AI-generated and are for illustrative purposes only. They do not depict actual players or match situations.
Sources: BBC Sport, Manchester Evening News, OneFootball, Punch Newspapers
Published by Banx Network. This article is part of the Banx decentralized media programme, powered by the BXE token on the XRP Ledger.
