:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/22662081/170103890.0.jpg)
With yet another interminable international break almost upon us and news the Uruguayan FA have sensibly chosen to allow their European stars—including one Luis Suarez—to play for their club team on Saturday before jetting off, national team news has suddenly become unavoidable. With a league match on Saturday against Fulham to worry about in roughly three days, it might not be what most Liverpool fans want to be focused on, but so it goes.
And amongst those Liverpool players who will be shipped off to various places around the globe once the final whistle goes on Saturday, at least one new name is being added to the mix as Jordan Henderson has been handed an invitation to join England as they prepare to take on Chile and Germany in a pair of matches that don't actually matter since England is already qualified.
For Henderson, it's deserved reward for a season that, last week's stumble against Arsenal aside, has seen him establish himself as one of the club's most important outfield players. It's also a chance to get injured in a match that matters to absolutely nobody and won't have any meaningful impact on England's chances at next summer's World Cup in Brazil. So there's a negative to go along with the positive.
Henderson will almost certainly be joined by Daniel Sturridge, called up alongside him and having of late established himself as the first choice to lead the line at the international level. Glen Johnson and Steven Gerrard have both also been called up, though injury concerns for both mean that their inclusion when it comes time to actually play the matches is far from certain. Especially if England manager Roy Hodgson shows a bit of sense.