INTERNATIONALS: SCHEDULE FOR UNITED STARS

INTERNATIONALS: SCHEDULE FOR UNITED STARS

After making a 100 per cent start to the Premier League season, the attentions of a number of Manchester United players now turn to the first international break of 2016/17.

            As many as 16 United stars could be involved in fixtures for their countries, including the Reds' latest match-winner Marcus Rashford who is set to start for England Under-21s in next Tuesday's game at home to Norway.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is expected to be the first United player in international action this week, captaining Armenia in their friendly match with the Czech Republic. Also playing that night will be Bastian Schweinsteiger as he signs off his international career with his final appearance for Germany - he'll skipper them against Finland, also in a friendly, in Monchengladbach.

Thursday night is a busy one with David De Gea and Juan Mata's Spain taking on Marouane Fellaini's Belgium, although Fellaini's fitness will be assessed after Jose Mourinho revealed he had
suffered a back injury in the win at Hull . In other European friendlies, France duo Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba face Italy and Daley Blind's Netherlands team host Greece.

Also on Thursday, Eric Bailly will be in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying action, for Ivory Coast against Sierra Leone, while Antonio Valencia has a big game for Ecuador at home to Brazil as their World Cup qualifying campaign continues.

           Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero will be hoping to help Argentina beat Uruguay in another intriguing World Cup qualifier on Friday, before the trio of Wayne Rooney, Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling could all feature as England start their bid to reach Russia 2018 with an away game against Slovakia on Sunday. Rooney, who has been retained as captain by new manager Sam Allardyce, announced on Tuesday that he will retire from international football after the World Cup in two years' time.

Further matches will follow on Monday and Tuesday for De Gea, Mata, Martial, Pogba, Blind and Fellaini, if fit, with Rojo, Romero and Valencia set to play again in the early hours of Wednesday morning UK time.

INTERNATIONAL MATCHES

Wednesday 31 August
Czech Republic v Armenia 18:15 - Mkhitaryan
Germany v Finland 19:45 - Schweinsteiger

Thursday 1 September
Belgium v Spain 19:45 - Fellaini, De Gea, Mata
Italy v France 20:00 - Martial, Pogba
Ivory Coast v Sierra Leone, 19:00 - Bailly
Netherlands v Greece 19:45 - Blind
Ecuador v Brazil 22:00 - Valencia

Friday 2 September
Argentina v Uruguay 00:30 - Rojo, Romero

Sunday 4 September
Slovakia v England 17:00 - Rooney, Shaw, Smalling

Monday 5 September
Spain v Liechtenstein 19:45 - De Gea, Mata

Tuesday 6 September
England U21s v Norway U21s 17:45 - Rashford
Belarus v France 19:45 - Martial, Pogba
Sweden v Netherlands 19:45 - Blind
Cyprus v Belgium 19:45 - Fellaini

Wednesday 7 September
Venezuela v Argentina 00:00 - Rojo, Romero

Peru v Ecuador 03:15 - Valencia

All kick-offs in UK time.