122 internationals kick off the international break: Barça leads with 17

LaLiga is taking a breather, and the spotlight shifts to the national teams. According to MARCA, this break follows a new calendar setup that merges the traditional September and October windows into a single, longer period, during which national sides can play up to four matches.

In response, clubs have reshaped their plans. Many have scheduled a week off for players not called up, and also arranged friendlies so those staying local keep their competitive rhythm during the 18 days without league action. The key issue is the direct impact of camps and travel on squad availability.

122 ‘soldiers’ head out

MARCA reports that 122 players in total are heading off with their national teams for this stretch. Everyone is already in their respective camps and travelling to different parts of the world. The knock-on effect is felt across almost every top-flight club, and there is one exception: Málaga contributes no players in this window.

Barça provides the most

Barça are the biggest contributor, with 17 international call-ups. MARCA notes that the starting XI Hansi Flick fielded against Sevilla was made up entirely of players who were called up, including Livakovic (Croatia), Cancelo (Portugal), Cubarsí, Pedri, Eric García, Rodri, Lamine Yamal and Fermín (Spain), Gordon (England), Raphinha (Brazil) and Christensen (Denmark). However, Christensen was later removed from the squad due to an injury picked up in that match at the Sánchez-Pizjuán.

Next come Real Madrid with 15, where Carlos Espí is called up via the U-21 setup. MARCA adds that Fede Valverde, initially included for Diego Forlán’s plans, drops out with a right ankle injury and will miss friendlies versus Japan, South Korea and India. Atlético Madrid contribute 16 players, though Sorloth is left out of Norway’s list due to injury and Llorente has already announced the end of his time with the Spain setup.

After Barça, Madrid and Atlético, the next best numbers are Villarreal (11), Real Sociedad (9) and Real Betis (8). On the other end, besides Málaga, Levante and Osasuna are the lowest-impact clubs, each with a single representative. As MARCA underlines, the main fear during these days is injuries.