With Euro 2016 around the corner, and qualifiers for other tournaments going on elsewhere, Swansea City wave a temporary goodbye to seven of their stars this week as they prepare to pull on their national team colours in the upcoming international break.

Friendly action for most

For four of the seven international call-ups, it's friendlies that they are looking forward to as preparation for this summer's Euros resumes.

Swansea stopper Lukasz Fabianski is bidding for a start tonight for Poland as they take on Serbia, and he'll get another chance for a cap on Saturday when his nation come up against Finland too.

Two of the back line that routinely protect Fabianski at the Liberty Stadium, meanwhile, will be in action for Wales in the coming days as they ready themselves for a couple of friendlies as well.

Those two are skipper Ashley Williams - who will wear the armband for his country whilst away - and left-back Neil Taylor. They face fellow Brits Northern Ireland this Thursday before travelling to the Ukraine for their second game on Monday.

Further forward, Gylfi Sigurdsson will be looking to continue his goal-scoring form with his country in the break, as he heads out to meet his Iceland teammates. They play Denmark on Thursday before taking on Greece on Tuesday.

Plenty to play for outside of Europe

It's not just friendlies that will interest Swansea supporters this week though, as outside of the continent there are three stars competing for bigger things with their countries.

Ki Sung-Yueng, for example, will lead South Korea out for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lebanon tomorrow morning, before facing Thailand in a friendly on Sunday. The team were meant to face Kuwait in another World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, but that has since been postponed.

In South America, forgotten man Jefferson Montero will also be looking to make an impact for his country in World Cup qualifiers. Ecuador will take on Paraguay this Thursday before clashing with Colombia in a tough group.

Meanwhile, in Africa, Modou Barrow is the star of a Gambia side bidding to qualify for next year's Africa Cup of Nations. They have a double-header with Mauritania to look forward to - the first game on Friday and the second Tuesday.

Montero will hope to impress with his country to earn a look-in with his club. (Photo: Jose Jacome/EPA)
Montero will hope to impress with his country to earn a look-in with his club. (Photo: Jose Jacome/EPA)

Young stars

As well as the senior stars, Swansea have a couple of young players heading out with their countries as well with 2017 UEFA Under-21 Championship qualifiers coming up.

Scotland duo Stephen Kingsley and Oli McBurnie, the latter currently on loan at Bristol Rovers, will join up with the under-21 squad to face France on Thursday in Angers, before travelling back home for a clash with Northern Ireland on Tuesday in Paisley.

Connor Roberts, Josh Sheehan, Ryan Hedges and Daniel James, meanwhile, have all been called up for Wales' under-21s, who will clash with Bulgaria and Romania in the coming days. Liam Shepherd was also included in the squad, but had to withdraw due to injury.

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About the author
Ameé Ruszkai
Head of the Sunderland, Swansea City and women football sections at VAVEL UK. Email: [email protected]