Potters jet off to all corners of the world during break

STOKE City have sent 10 players on duty for their senior or under-21s national teams over the next couple of weeks, with important World Cup qualifiers coming up for five of them.

- Peter Smith

BIG STAGE: D'Margio Wright-Phillips is on a run for Stoke City against Swansea. City are away to Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow night.

Viktor Johansson is in the first Sweden squad named by new boss Graham Potter, who has a task on his hands to make the 2026 finals.

Sweden are bottom of Group B with just one point and to finish second they need to win away at leaders Switzerland and at home against Slovenia while hoping that Kosovo lose to both Slovenia and Switzerland.

They could still qualify for a playoff spot by virtue of being one of four best-ranked Nations League section winners who haven't already booked their place in the finals.

Tomas Rigo and Robert Bozenik’s Slovakia will confirm their place in the Group A top two if they beat Jamie Donley’s Northern Ireland at home on Friday.

‘The top spot is still up for grabs. Germany and Slovakia are on nine points, Northern Ireland are on six. Northern Ireland host Luxembourg in their final game Monday while Slovakia head to Germany.