International break: Round up of the Premier League stars who have impressed

The second international break of the season is well under way, with the Nations League semi-finals all done and dusted, and fans eagerly awaiting England’s game against Andorra on Saturday. 

With World Cup qualifiers taking place across the globe, a number of Premier League stars have already shone on the international stage, and below we take a look at some of the standout performances so far.

Raphinha – Venezuela 1-3 Brazil

Having been substituted on at half-time for his first ever international appearance, few would have predicted the impact Raphinha would have during Brazil’s game against Venezuela on Friday morning.

After falling behind early on, the five-time World Cup winners were behind at the break, but the Leeds United star changed the game, providing two assists as his team secured a dramatic comeback victory.

Romelu Lukaku & Kevin de Bruyne – Belgium 2-3 France

Despite ending up on the wrong end of the Nations League semi-final, Chelsea’s Lukaku and Manchester City’s De Bruyne impressed during Belgium’s thrilling game against France.

De Bruyne’s pair of assists were not enough to prevent Belgium’s defeat

Having already set up Belgium’s opener for Yannick Carrasco, the City midfielder then set up Lukaku for Roberto Martinez’s side’s second goal.

Despite succumbing to a late defeat, the Premier League duo impressed for their country and the Chelsea man was unlucky to have a late winner chalked off.

Ferran Torres – Italy v Spain

Having started the season strongly for his club, Manchester City attacker Torres continued his fine form on international duty with a brace to send Spain to the Nations League final.

The 21-year-old gave his side a commanding lead at half-time and, despite a late reply from the Italians, Spain held on to progress to the final, where they will face France on Sunday.

Torres’ brace sent Spain to the Nations League final

The striker’s performance will certainly have given City boss Pep Guardiola plenty to think about, with the Spaniard having started just one of the last five games for his club.

Son Heung-Min – South Korea 2-1 Syria

Tottenham Hotspur star Son was once again the hero for South Korea, as the forward came up trumps with a late winner to give his side victory over Syria.

The result kept South Korea second in Group A of the AFC World Cup qualifiers and continued Son’s impressive record for his country, for whom he has now scored 27 goals in 92 appearances.

Son’s last gasp goal gave South Korea victory over Syria

Hawng Hee-chan, who has made an instant impact on loan at Wolves, was also involved in the game.

Yerry Mina – Uruguay 0-0 Colombia

Despite not winning, Everton’s Yerry Mina impressed during Colombia’s goalless draw with Uruguay on Friday morning, a result that could prove crucial for both sides.

The point kept Colombia within touching distance of their opponents in the qualifying table for the World Cup next year.

At the halfway stage in the qualification process, Colombia remain in a promising position to qualify for the tournament in Qatar next year.

With a number of players including Mason Mount and Trent Alexander-Arnold set to be involved with England in the coming days, there are plenty more chances for players to impress their club managers, as well as cementing spots in their national squads ahead of next winter’s showpiece in Qatar.