Bruno Fernandes, Cody Gakpo and Patrick Dorgu have all joined the international break's high-profile injury list after suffering issues that have curtailed their involvement in Nations League matches. After playing in Portugal's win over Wales on Thursday, Manchester United captain Fernandes was not in the squad for Sunday's fixture against Norway. Prior to the match boss Jorge Jesus revealed, external Fernandes had "played through the pain" against Wales and "wasn't his usual self".
"He played with an injury he brought from Manchester United," he said. "He really wanted to play against Wales." Meanwhile, both Fernandes' United team-mate Dorgu and Liverpool striker Gakpo suffered injuries during games for their respective countries on Sunday. Gakpo had to go off just 16 minutes into the Netherlands' 2-1 win against Serbia, grimacing and holding the lower part of his right leg.
He has started the season well for Liverpool with two goals and four assists in six appearances across all competitions. Dorgu, meanwhile, lasted 30 minutes before he limped off in Denmark's 2-0 win against Wales. The first international break of the 2026-27 men's football season is lasting a week longer than it usually does, with the traditional October break now scrapped.
There is now a three-week gap for international fixtures across late September and early October, where countries will play four international matches instead of two. Injured Isak returns to Liverpool from Sweden duty Why will September international break last three weeks? Gakpo's injury adds to Liverpool's woes after Alexander Isak withdrew from Sweden duty with a minor thigh injury.
The striker played the full 90 minutes and scored a goal in his side's 2-1 win on Friday over Romania in the Nations League. However, he will not be involved in Sweden's remaining three matches in this international break and assessed by his club's medical staff. On Thursday, Arsenal forward Kai Havertz and Sunderland's Brian Brobbey both went off injured in the same game as the Netherlands drew with Germany.
German Havertz was caught on the knee by a high boot from Quinten Timber in Amsterdam and had to be replaced. Netherlands forward Brobbey - off the back off a hat-trick in Sunderland's 5-3 Premier League defeat by Manchester City - then appeared to suffer a muscle injury. A further blow for Sunderland on this international break came as Dan Ballard suffered a hamstring injury late in Northern Ireland's 1-0 win over Georgia on Friday.
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