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How Leeds United players including Luis Sinisterra, Wilfried Gnonto fared on international duty

Sports Mole rounds up which Leeds United players were in action for their respective nations during September's international break.

Jesse Marsch will welcome back a total of 11 players to his Leeds United squad who have been representing their country during September's international break.

The Whites saw 10 players spread out across Europe, while summer signing Luis Sinisterra travelled to the United States for two fixtures with Colombia.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up which Leeds players were in action for their respective nations and how they fared on international duty.



Italy: Wilfried Gnonto

Italy's Wilfried Gnonto pictured on June 7, 2022© Reuters

Results:
September 23: Italy 1-0 EnglandUEFA Nations League (San Siro, Milan)
September 26: Hungary 0-2 Italy – UEFA Nations League (Puskas Arena, Budapest)

After coming off the bench for the final half hour of Italy's narrow win over England, 18-year-old Wilfried Gnonto was handed a start in attack against Hungary and played for 66 minutes.

In doing so, the forward became only the third Azzurri player in the post-war era to start three games for the senior national team before his 19th birthday.

Gnonto – who now has six international caps to his name – was heavily involved in Italy's opening goal against Hungary, as he closed down a short back-pass to goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi and won the tackle before the ball fell to Giacomo Raspadori, who tucked away his close-range effort in the 27th minute.


Colombia: Luis Sinisterra

Colombia's Luis Sinisterra celebrates with Luis Diaz on September 27, 2022© Reuters

Results:
September 25: Colombia 4-1 Guatemala – Friendly (Red Bull Arena, New Jersey)
September 28: Mexico 2-3 Colombia – Friendly (Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara)

After scoring three goals in his last four appearances for Leeds across all competitions, Luis Sinisterra continued his fine form in front of goal on the international stage with three strikes in two friendly fixtures for Colombia.

The winger scored his first international goal against Guatemala, coming off the bench to double Colombia's lead with a powerful strike into the roof of the net.

Sinisterra began as a substitute again for the clash with Mexico, but he wasted little time in putting his stamp on the game as he came on to score twice within the first seven minutes of the second half – firstly heading home from a corner before sweeping a right-footed strike across the face of goal and into the bottom-left corner – to draw Colombia level, before Wilmar Barrios netted the winner in the 68th minute.



USA: Brendan Aaronson, Tyler Adams

USA's Brenden Aaronson pictured on June 5, 2022© Reuters

Results:
September 23: Japan 2-0 USA – Friendly (Merkur Spiel Arena, Dusseldorf)
September 27: Saudi Arabia 0-0 USA – Friendly (Estadio Nueva Condomina, Murcia)

Tyler Adams has played every minute of Leeds' Premier League campaign so far this season, following his summer arrival from RB Leipzig, and the midfielder completed the full 90 minutes in both of the USA's friendly fixtures this month.

Meanwhile, Aaronson played the full game on the right side of a front three in the defeat against Japan, before coming off the bench for the final 15 minutes in the draw with Saudi Arabia.



Denmark: Rasmus Kristensen

Denmark's Rasmus Kristensen pictured during training on September 20, 2022© Reuters

Results:
September 22: Croatia 2-1 Denmark – UEFA Nations League (Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb)
September 25: Denmark 2-0 France – UEFA Nations League (Parken Stadium, Copenhagen)

Rasmus Kristensen came off the bench and played at right wing-back for the final half hour of Denmark's defeat against Croatia, who eventually finished just one point above the Danes at the summit of League A Group 1 and have subsequently progressed to the Nations League semi-finals.

The 25-year-old then started and earned his 10th international cap in the impressive victory at home to current world champions France before being replaced in second-half stoppage time.



Spain: Diego Llorente

Leeds United's Diego Llorente pictured on September 3, 2022© Reuters

Results:
September 24: Spain 1-2 Switzerland – UEFA Nations League (Estadio La Romareda, Zaragoza)
September 27: Portugal 0-1 Spain – UEFA Nations League (Estadio Municipal de Braga, Braga)

Diego Llorente was hoping to add to his 10 international caps for Spain, having made his last appearance for Luis Enrique's side in June.

However, the 29-year-old was left out of the matchday squad for the defeat against Switzerland and was then an unused substitute in the win over Portugal, with Eric Garcia and Pau Torres preferred ahead of him at centre-back in both matches.



France Under-21s: Illan Meslier

Illan Meslier in action for Leeds United on August 21, 2022© Reuters

Results:
September 23: Germany Under-21s 0-1 France Under-21s – Friendly (MDCC Arena, Magdeburg)
September 26: France Under-21s 2-2 Belgium Under-21s – Friendly (Stade du Hainaut, Valenciennes)

Prior to watching from the substitutes' bench against Belgium Under-21s, Illan Meslier started and kept a clean sheet in the slender victory away against Germany Under-21s.

The 22-year-old, who has played in 11 of the last 14 international's for France Under-21s, is seemingly regarded as the nation's first-choice goalkeeper ahead of the UEFA European Under-21 Championships taking place next year.



England Under-19s: Sonny Perkins, Darko Gyabi

England's Darko Gyabi in action with Wales' Cian Ashford on September 3, 2021© Reuters

Results:
September 21: England Under-19s 2-0 Montenegro Under-19s – Euro Under-19 qualifier (DS Arena, Hobro)
September 24: England Under-19s 2-0 Georgia Under-19s – Euro Under-19 qualifier (Hjorring Stadium, Hjorring)
September 27: Denmark Under-19s 2-4 England Under-19s – Euro Under-19 qualifier (DS Arena, Hobro)

Summer signings Sonny Perkins and Darko Gyabi enjoyed a successful international break after being promoted to the Under-19s team for the first time this month.

Perkins in particular excelled for the Young Lions as he scored five goals across the three fixtures, including a first-half hat-trick in the emphatic victory over Georgia Under-19s.

Gyabi was an unused substitute against Georgia, but the centre-midfielder started in the other two fixtures and he scored in stoppage time against Denmark Under-19s to wrap up a memorable international break for Simon Rusk's side.



Norway Under-21s: Kristoffer Klaesson, Leo Hjelde

Leeds United's Leo Hjelde pictured on August 24, 2022© Reuters

Results:
September 24: Norway Under-21s 3-2 Switzerland Under-21s – Friendly (Marbella Football Center, Marbella)
September 27: Spain Under-21s 3-0 Norway Under-21s – Friendly (Alcoraz Stadium, Huesca)

Goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaesson and defender Leo Hjelde were both unused substitutes as Norway Under-21s suffered a 3-2 defeat to Switzerland Under-21s.

Hjelde was then handed his debut at Under-21 level against Spain, while Klaesson made his 10th appearance between the sticks, but the youngsters were on the wrong side of a 3-0 scoreline.


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