Celtic have 12 players away on international duty during an unprecedented break in the club calendar. With back-to-back losses to Rangers before the pause, manager Martin O'Neill has admitted he will consider his future before the side returns to action with a trip to Motherwell on October 11. Several Celtic representatives have made headlines during the break, with some stories catching more fire than others.
Illness and isolation for Sweden trio
Last season's top goalscorer Benjamin Nygren is one of three Sweden players self-isolating after picking up an illness. The 25-year-old netted in Monday's 3-1 win over Poland but is not expected to play any part in the Nations League clashes against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania this week.
Nygren, ex-Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke and Brighton's Yasin Ayari are being kept away from the main group ahead of the showdown with the Bosnians in Sarajevo on Friday. National team press officer Tetra Thoren said: "(They have) cold symptoms. They are being kept isolated so that we can keep this down to as few numbers as possible."
Touchline bust-ups and debut hopes
Winger Sebastian Tounekti was involved in a heated altercation with an opposition manager after Tunisia's 2-2 draw with Botswana in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Monday night. Tounekti, 24, appeared as a substitute for the final seven minutes as his nation chased a winner. Shortly before full-time, he had a bust-up with interim Botswana head coach Haloba Nthaga, which had to be separated by officials and players and staff from both camps.
Summer signing Mika Baur is in line to make his senior bow for Germany this week after a shock call-up from new manager Jurgen Klopp. The £4.5million man is part of a 44-man squad that has been split in two for their fourth Nations League fixtures, taking on Serbia and then a rematch with Greece.
Centre back Liam Scales was an unused substitute as the Republic of Ireland thumped Israel 3-0 away from home. He started in the 1-0 loss to Kosovo days earlier but was reportedly dropped after supporting teammate and goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu's decision to withdraw from the squad amid Israel's ongoing conflict in Gaza. Irish FA chiefs held talks with players and staff over security concerns, but the game went ahead as planned.
Frustration and first caps
Celtic's club record signing Kasper Hogh has been restricted to just 11 minutes for Denmark during their 3-2 loss to Norway and 2-0 victory over Wales. In an interview with Danish magazine Euroman, the ex-Bodo/Glimt frontman said: "It's been a huge experience. Celtic is a huge club. Everything is just bigger. There are more fans and there are more people watching you. Of course, it's always difficult to move to a new country, but I think this is really good for my development as a person."
Colby Donovan's solid displays in the opening weeks of the season earned him a first call-up to Scotland's senior team by new boss Sebastien Pocognoli. However, the 20-year-old is still awaiting his debut, having been left out of the squad for the 3-0 loss against Switzerland and the stalemate with Slovenia. Speedy forward Camilo Duran is also waiting in the wings for his first cap for Colombia, having made six goals in 12 matches in all competitions for Celtic. He was an unused substitute as Colombia played out a 1-1 draw with Mexico.
Finland shot stopper Viljami Sinisalo won cap number eight in the 7-0 hammering of San Marino but then sat on the bench as Finland and Belarus claimed a share of the spoils. Defender Auston Trusty was one of several USA stars caught up in a heated exchange during the 4-2 victory over Chile. With seconds left, USMNT goalkeeper Brian Schwake infuriated the away side by diving on top of the ball, prompting Chile's Leando Hernandez to kick out before Trusty and teammates rushed over. Trusty appeared as a substitute for the final 27 minutes and teed up Mathis Albert for the fourth goal.
Haissem Hassan has hit blanks for Egypt in their two matches, a 0-0 draw with Angola and a 5-0 thrashing of South Sudan. Yang Hyun-jun is one day from claiming a gold medal after helping South Korea U23s reach the final of the Asian Games, sitting out Wednesday's 2-1 win over China with a slight injury. Chelsea loanee Shim Mheuka marked his second England U20 outing by scoring the opener in Tuesday's 2-1 away victory against France, having only featured for 40 minutes in total for Celtic so far this season.
