International FIFA fixture call-ups for October 2020: Here are the MLS players traveling

A total of 36 players have been called up by their respective national teams with 9 players confirmed to be staying back with their MLS teams during the October FIFA international fixture window.

D.C. United and NYCFC confirmed that the clubs have declined call-ups for Edison Flores (DC / Peru), Junior Moreno (DC / Venezuela), Yordy Reyna (DC / Peru), Erik Sorga (DC / Estonia) and Alexander Callens (NYCFC / Peru), who will not be released due to local government regulations regarding travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to FIFA guidelines issued for the October window, clubs can deny the release of a player when there is a government-mandated quarantine of five or more days upon return from international travel. New York state and Washington, D.C. both mandate a 14-day quarantine for travel from the regions in question.

Additionally, Montreal confirmed Clement Diop (Senegal) will not be traveling. NYCFC said that Maxime Chanot (NYCFC / Luxembourg) and Anton Tinnerholm (NYCFC / Sweden) will stay back after discussions with each player's federation. NYCFC indicated they only released Alexandru Mitrita to join Romania because he is also using the trip to attend to a personal matter. He was later transferred on loan to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia through January 2022.

After suffering an injury on October 7 against Columbus Crew SC, Montreal's Lassi Lappalainen stayed back with his club team.

Three other players (LA's Cristian Pavon, Nashville's Jhonder Cadiz and Portland's Renzo Zambrano) were on preliminary call-up lists, but didn't make the final roster cuts for their respective nations.

The full list of player call-ups follows below by club and then by country (alphabetical order):

October int'l call-ups by MLS club

• Atlanta United (0): --
• Chicago Fire FC (2): Gaston Gimenez (Paraguay), Miguel Navarro (Venezuela)
• FC Cincinnati (0): -- 
• Colorado Rapids (0): --
• Columbus Crew SC (0): -- 
• FC Dallas (0): --
• D.C. United (4): Edison Flores* (Peru), Junior Moreno* (Venezuela), Yordy Reyna* (Peru), Erik Sorga* (Estonia)
• Houston Dynamo (0): --
• LAFC (4): Jose Cifuentes (Ecuador), Diego Palacios (Ecuador), Brian Rodriguez (Uruguay), Diego Rossi (Uruguay)
• LA Galaxy (2): Jonathan Dos Santos (Mexico), Rolf Feltscher (Venezuela)
• Inter Miami (1): Rodolfo Pizarro (Mexico)
• Minnesota United (1): Jan Gregus (Slovakia)
• Montreal Impact (3): Clement Diop* (Senegal), Lassi Lappalainen* (Finland), Jukka Raitala (Finland)
• Nashville SC (0): --
• New England Revolution (0): --
• NYCFC (4): Alexander Callens* (Peru), Maxime Chanot* (Luxembourg), Alexandru Mitrita (Romania), Anton Tinnerholm* (Sweden)
• NY Red Bulls (2): Cristian Casseres Jr. (Venezuela), Kaku (Paraguay)
• Orlando City (2): Pedro Gallese (Peru), Jhegson Mendez (Ecuador)
• Philadelphia Union (1): Jose "El Brujo" Martinez (Venezuela)
• Portland Timbers (1): Andy Polo (Peru)
• Real Salt Lake (1): Albert Rusnak (Slovakia)
• San Jose Earthquakes (3): Guram Kashia (Georgia), Marcos Lopez (Peru), Vako (Georgia)
• Seattle Sounders (3): Xavier Arreaga (Ecuador), Raul Ruidiaz (Peru), Gustav Svensson (Sweden)
• Sporting Kansas City (1): Alan Pulido (Mexico)
• Toronto FC (0): --
• Vancouver Whitecaps (1): Jasser Khmiri (Tunisia)

* = will not travel to join their national team

Ecuador

Matches: @ Argentina (Oct. 8, WCQ), vs. Uruguay (Oct. 13, WCQ\)

An MLS foursome will be joining Ecuador's squad as they open 2022 World Cup qualifying with one of the toughest away fixtures in Argentina: Sebastian Jhegson Mendez (Orlando City), Xavier Arreaga (Seattle Sounders), Jose Cifuentes (LAFC), Diego Palacios (LAFC).

Finland

Matches: Poland (Oct. 7, friendly), Bulgaria (Oct. 11, Nations League), Ireland (Oct. 14, Nations League\)

On Sept. 29, Montreal Impact teammates Jukka Raitala and Lassi Lappalainen were both included in Finland's 26-man roster for two UEFA Nations League contests. The duo skipped the friendly against Poland (Oct. 7) and according to the Impact will depart after their league match against Columbus Crew SC on Oct. 7. However, an injury to Lappalainen meant he ultimately did not travel.

Georgia

Matches: Belarus (Oct. 8, Euro qualifier), @ Armenia (Oct. 11, Nations League), @ North Macedonia (Oct. 14, Nations League\)

The San Jose duo of center back Guram Kashia and playmaker Vako will look to help Georgia in both Euro qualifying playoff and UEFA Nations League. The winner of the playoff match on Oct. 8 hosts North Macedonia or Kosovo in November.

Mexico

Matches: Netherlands (Oct. 7, friendly), Algeria (Oct. 13, friendly\)

Inter Miami's Rodolfo Pizarro, LA Galaxy midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos and Sporting Kansas City forward Alan Pulido were all called up by Gerardo "Tata" Martino on Sept. 30. The match against the Netherlands will also pit the last two Atlanta United coaches: Martino vs. Frank de Boer.

Paraguay

Matches: vs. Peru (Oct. 8, WCQ), @ Venezuela (Oct. 13, WCQ\)

Midfielders Gaston Gimenez (Chicago Fire FC) and Kaku (NY Red Bulls) are set to join Paraguay. In the case of the Argentina-born Gimenez, he will be joining Paraguay for the first time after completing a one-time change of association through FIFA earlier this year. He previously appeared in a friendly match for Argentina against Mexico in 2018.

Peru

Matches: @ Paraguay (Oct. 8, WCQ), vs. Brazil (Oct. 13\)

Four of MLS's Peruvian internationals called up for the start of South American qualifying will be joining the team: Pedro Gallese (Orlando City), Raul Ruidiaz (Seattle Sounders), Andy Polo (Portland Timbers) and Marcos Lopez (San Jose Earthquakes). Edison Flores (D.C. United), Yordy Reyna (D.C. United) and Alexander Callens (NYCFC) will be sitting out.

Romania

Matches: @ Iceland (Oct. 8, Euro qualifier), @ Norway (Oct. 11, Nations League), vs. Austria (Oct. 14, Nations League\)

With three matches scheduled for October, Alexandru Mitrita (NYCFC) is expected to see time at some point for Romania. The Euro qualifier playoff on October 8 is a big one with the winner of the match traveling to face Bulgaria or Hungary with a spot in the Euro Championship on the line.

Slovakia

Matches: vs. Ireland (Oct. 8, Euro qualifier), @ Scotland (Oct. 11, Nations League), vs. Israel (Oct. 14, Nations League\)

RSL playmaker Albert Rusnak and Minnesota's Jan Gregus have joined Slovakia for a huge Euro qualifier against the Republic of Ireland with the winner of that match facing either Bosnia and Herzegovina or Northern Ireland in a playoff to make the Euro Championship tournament.

Sweden

Matches: @ Croatia (Oct. 11, Nations League), @ Portugal (Oct. 14, Nations League\)

Gustav Svensson (Seattle Sounders) and Anton Tinnerholm (NYCFC) were both called up, but only Svensson will be traveling. He also previously joined Sweden for their UEFA Nations League matches in September.

Tunisia

Matches: vs Sudan (Oct. 9, friendly), vs. Nigeria (Oct. 13, friendly\)

Vancouver's 23-year-old center back Jasser Khmiri will be looking for his first senior cap as Tunisia continue preparation for the resumption of 2021 African Cup of Nations qualifying.

Uruguay

Matches: vs. Chile (Oct. 8, WCQ), @ Ecuador (Oct. 13, WCQ\)

LAFC's Brian Rodriguez was called up by Uruguay manager Oscar Washington Tabarez and Audi Golden Boot leader Diego Rossi was later added as a replacement for the injured Cristhian Stuani.

Venezuela

Matches: @ Colombia (Oct. 9, WCQ), vs. Paraguay (Oct. 13, WCQ\)

Three of the five players called up by new Venezuela manager Jose Peseiro will be joining La Vinotinto: Miguel Navarro (Chicago Fire), Cristian Casseres (NY Red Bulls) and Rolf Feltscher (LA Galaxy). Junior Moreno (D.C. United) and Jose "El Brujo" Martinez (Philadelphia Union) will not be traveling. Martinez announced the news on Twitter.