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Sissoko's France Go Dutch
Written by Newcastle Utd
Two Magpies players faced each other on Friday when Holland played France at the Amsterdam ArenA
By Tom Easterby - Newcastle United Club Reporter
Two Magpies players faced each other on Friday when Holland played France at the Amsterdam ArenA.
Georginio Wijnaldum replaced Ajax skipper Davy Klaassen with quarter of an hour to go in the eventual 3-2 friendly defeat for Danny Blind's men.
However, United's Moussa Sissoko came off the bench with three minutes remaining, replacing Juventus' Paul Pogba as his side recorded a win.
Wijnaldum could now feature for the Dutch against Roy Hodgson's England at Wembley on Tuesday, while Sissoko and his France teammates take on Russia at the Stade de France the same night.
Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic's Serbia slipped to 1-0 friendly defeat to Poland on Wednesday, with the United forward unable to make it off the bench in Poznan as Jakub BÅ‚aszczykowski's strike earned the hosts a victory.
Mitrovic will be hoping to pick up his 19th cap for his country when they face Estonia in another friendly in Tallinn on Tuesday.
Goalkeeper Rob Elliot was an unused substitute in the Republic of Ireland's 1-0 win over Switzerland in Dublin on Friday, which was sealed thanks to a Ciaran Clark header.
Martin O'Neill's men host Slovakia on Tuesday, with Elliot competing for a place between the sticks with Darren Randolph and David Forde.
Winger Rolando Aarons, however, missed out on an England under-21 debut.
The 20-year-old wasn't involved in Gareth Southgate's side's 1-1 European Under-21 Championship qualifying draw with Switzerland in Thun on Saturday evening.
There were also a number of Magpies players in African Cup of Nations qualifying action.
On-loan forward Seydou Doumbia was an unused substitute in the Ivory Coast's 1-0 Group I win over Sudan in Abidjan.
Les Elephants head to Omdurman for the return fixture on Tuesday, where the 29-year-old will be aiming to feature for last year's African Cup of Nations champions.
On Saturday, Chancel Mbemba's DR Congo took top spot in qualifying Group B on Saturday as they earned a 2-1 win over Angola in Kinshasa, with the defender playing the full 90 minutes.
The two sides face each other again in the reverse fixture on Tuesday.
Midfielder Henri Saivet didn't make an appearance from the bench as his Senegal side beat Niger 2-0 in Dakar in their Group K clash.
But the January signing could play against the same opposition tomorrow at the Stade Général Seyni Kountché.
Young defender Lubo Satka's Slovakia under-21s thrashed their Estonian counterparts 4-0 last Wednesday.
The centre-back, who is currently on loan at York City, could now play against Turkey in a European Under-21 Championship qualifier tomorrow.
A further trio of young Magpies have also been on international duty over the past week.
Goalkeeper Freddie Woodman and forward Adam Armstrong have both played big parts in their England under-19s side's 2016 European Championships elite qualifying round campaign.
Both played the full 90 minutes in the Young Lions' 2-1 win over Georgia on Thursday and the 1-1 draw against Greece, in which Armstrong - currently on loan at Coventry City - scored from the spot.
Woodman and Armstrong are now likely to line up for England's last game of this international break on Tuesday. Keith Downing's youngsters must beat Spain to progress to the summer's finals in Germany.
But Alex Gilliead - who scored for England under-20s in their 4-1 friendly win over Canada last week - returned to his loan club Carlisle United prior to his national side's 2-1 defeat against the same opposition on Sunday.