1) Relegation awaits Germany?

Germany staring down the barrel of relegation – did we ever think we’d see the day? That is the ignominious fate that will befall Joachim Löw’s side in the inaugural Nations League if they fail to beat the Netherlands in Gelsenkirchen on Monday. Indeed, their fate will already be sealed by then if the Dutch beat France on Friday, although one suspects Ronald Koeman’s side would prefer to inflict the humiliation in person. With Mesut Özil in self-imposed international exile and Sami Khedira and Jérôme Boateng both dropped, this is a time of transition for Germany. “I don’t want to just dump the 2014 generation,” said Löw. “But it is now time for further changes.” While his country’s federation have not shown any inclination to sack their long-serving manager, whether or not Löw is around to implement those changes is open to question. BG

Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) How would you react if a bunch of Germany players turned up at your training session? 🤩#DieMannschaft pic.twitter.com/viZWYQXmKL

2) Mauritania on verge of history

The expansion of the Africa Cup of Nations to 24 teams always made it likely that next year’s edition would feature some debutants and Madagascar have already made it. Not many people would have tipped Mauritania to do likewise even though the country came close to reaching the last edition, finishing above South Africa in a tough group. They kept faith with manager Corentin Martins after that promising campaign and have carried on their good form. They will confirm their qualification for the finals if they win at home on Sunday to Botswana, whom they have already beaten away. Mauritania are particularly strong at home, where they have already got the better of Burkina Faso and Angola (four days after being thrashed 4-1 in Luanda) so they can be confident of overcoming Botswana so long as they hold their nerve while on the verge of an historic achievement. Meanwhile, Angola host Burkina Faso on the same day knowing they probably need to win to take the group’s other qualifying spot. PD

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3) Martin needs to impress in O’Neill derby

Straight after his annual Remembrance Day pillorying, James McClean could find himself in the spotlight on Thursday, when the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland meet for a friendly in Dublin. Some fans are expected to take the match as an opportunity to debate Fifa’s eligibility rules and the Good Friday Agreement in a constructive and respectful manner, with the cases of McClean and Shane Duffy cited helpfully whenever one of them touches the ball. But, for different reasons, Martin O’Neill is likely to be under more scrutiny than either of his fellow Derrymen. Over the last year O’Neill’s team have struggled to produce coherent and positive performances, and the manager has attributed much of the blame to his lack of resources. That reason will not hold up if Michael O’Neill sends out a side that does better. PD

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4) Another England chance to avenge Croatia loss

While much of the focus in the build-up to England’s November internationals has centred on Wayne Rooney’s send-off against the USA, the striker will be conspicuous by his absence from the squad preparing for their final Nations League group game against Croatia three days later. Should Spain fail to beat Croatia in Zagreb on Thursday, an England win at Wembley over the team who ended their World Cup dream will seal a place as one of the four Nations League finalists who will duke it out for the trophy next June. It would scarcely constitute revenge for the semi-final heartbreak, but would at least leave England open to further anguish of a significantly more minor and unprecedented kind. BG

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5) France door remains closed for Laporte

Perhaps Didier Deschamps’ continued refusal to cap Aymeric Laporte is part of a weird test for the defender to prove how much he wants to play for France and not Spain, for whom he also qualifies? Or maybe his omission from France’s squad for Friday’s Nations League match with the Netherlands and Tuesday’s friendly against Uruguay is a punishment for the Manchester City defender publicly supporting Adrien Rabiot – via a clapping emoji – when the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder threw a strop at being placed on standby when last summer’s World Cup squad was announced? Or maybe, with Samuel Umtiti unavailable, Deschamps genuinely believes it makes more sense to bring back Mamadou Sakho to compete with Presnel Kimpembe for the position alongside Raphaël Varane in the heart of France’s defence? Maybe that is yet more evidence of Deschamps’ basics-first approach; it definitely reinforces the world champions’ strength in depth. PD

6) Wales continuing to overlook Rodon

Upon hearing that Sheffield United right-back Kieron Freeman had been called up to replace injured central defender, Chris Mepham, for the Wales squad to face Denmark in the Nations League on Friday, the prevailing mood among the panel on Elis James’s Feast of Football was one of total bafflement. The actor and comedian chews the Welsh football fat with former internationals Iwan Roberts and Danny Gabbidon on the weekly podcast and, with all due respect to Freeman, all three fanatics were bemused by Ryan Giggs’s reluctance to opt for Swansea’s Joe Rodon, an actual centre-back. Even more weirdly, the trio recently revealed Giggs has not attended a Swansea game since the start of the season. One man in the squad is Chris Gunter, who will overtake Neville Southall to become the most capped player in Welsh history if he features against the Danes and then Albania. The 29-year-old may have to wait, as he’s currently behind Connor Roberts – a Swansea defender who has managed to catch Giggs’s eye – in the pecking order. BG

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Wales team train in Hensol. Photograph: Mark Hawkins/Barcroft Images

7) Keïta aiming to clinch qualification for Guinea

Naby Keïta and Jean Michäel Seri barely had time to compete against each other at Anfield on Sunday, with both appearing only as late substitutes for their clubs. They are likely to see a lot more of each other in Conakry this Sunday, when the Liverpool player hopes to lead Guinea to another victory over Seri’s Ivory Coast. Keïta was superb when his country won 3-2 in Abidjan earlier in the campaign, but he goes into this game on the back of a difficult spell, with his Premier League integration hampered by the injury he suffered on his last international mission. A strong 90 minutes could help his country to secure the point they need to guarantee qualification and also be of long-term benefit to Jürgen Klopp who, for once, has not bemoaned a player leaving to represent his country. But it will not be easy for Guinea, as the Ivorians have made a promising start to life under manager Ibrahim Kamara. PD

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8) Crunch time for McLeish

Scotland can win promotion from League C with wins in Albania and at home to Israel. It is a task that should not be beyond them, but Scotland being Scotland, it is in their nature to make life difficult for themselves. Alex McLeish has been forced to contend with a slew of withdrawals, meaning that at the time of writing – deep breath – Charlie Mulgrew, Stephen O’Donnell, Kevin McDonald, Craig Gordon, Matt Ritchie, Robert Snodgrass, Jon McLaughlin, Tom Cairney, Stephen Naismith and Leigh Griffiths are all unavailable. McLeish came in for much criticism for not starting Celtic’s James Forrest in the team that lost to Israel. He can ill-afford to omit the winger for the forthcoming matches and with similarly in-form Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser on the opposite flank, Scotland fans have every reason to be upbeat. Their team is just two wins against fairly mediocre opposition from guaranteeing themselves at least a play-off place for Euro 2020. BG

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Alex McLeish during a training session in Edinburgh this week. Photograph: Jane Barlow/PA

9) The latest Congo derby

Group G is the tightest Africa Cup of Nations qualifying pool, with all four teams still in the running. Zimbabwe could seal their passage to the finals by drawing in Liberia this weekend, while the other game is a high-stakes derby. The Democratic Republic of Congo beat the Republic of Congo 4-2 in a spectacular 2015 quarter-final but the neighbours have seldom met in qualifying stages, the last time being for the 2002 World Cup – the Leopards (DR Congo) prevailed then, too. They go into the latest meeting with the upper hand again, one point above the team from the other bank of the river that gives the countries their names, thanks notably to a 3-1 home victory when the sides met at the start of the campaign. But Cédric Bakambu, who scored twice in that game, has been ruled out by injury, as have Jonathan Bolongi and Gaël Kakuta. Meanwhile, the Red Devils will make the short trip from Brazzaville to Kinshasa knowing anything less than a victory is likely to result in ending the campaign below their neighbours again. PD

10) Brazil on the road to Milton Keynes

Brazil take on Uruguay at the Emirates in London on Friday night, a match both teams are using as part of their preparations for next summer’s Copa América, staged in the home of the Seleção. Since being knocked out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals by Belgium, Brazil have played and won four against the USA, El Salvador, Saudi Arabia and Argentina, conceding no goals. After taking on Uruguay, they face Cameroon on Tuesday. Quite what Neymar and his fellow Samba Boys will make of Milton Keynes’s famous concrete cows is anyone’s guess, but their presence in the satellite town ought to generate no end of excitement among locals who have been starved of Jogo Bonito-style entertainment from MK Dons in recent years. BG