West Brom's international round-up with two debuts and airport drama

Here is a flavour of how they all got on with their nations ahead of a Championship return on Saturday.

Semi Ajayi

Certainly a memorable break for Ajayi’s Nigeria – and not for the right reasons for the Super Eagles.

Centre-back Ajayi, typically a regular for his nation, played a late cameo role in a 1-0 home win over Libya last Friday.

The drama, however, came afterwards. The squad, players and staff flew out to Libya for Tuesday’s away fixture on Sunday night, but were diverted from Benghazi Airport to Al Abraq Airport, more than 200km and three-and-a-half hours away from their intended base.

There they were stranded overnight, for more than 12 hours, as players updated social media on the ordeal, sleeping on rows of seats, with some suggesting they were without food and water.

Nigeria subsequently decided to return home and boycott their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Libyan Football Federation failed to send any response, Nigeria claimed, to fatigued players and officials.

Ajayi was due to return to England and the Black Country on Tuesday, with Carlos Corberan set to provide an update on the defender’s wellbeing in his press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Mason Holgate

It was a proud few days for on-loan defender Holgate, who is at The Hawthorns for a second spell on loan from Everton.

Holgate, who turns 28 next week, received a first call-up by Jamaica, whom he qualifies through his grandparents, and has won his first two caps.

He was a substitute in last Thursday’s 2-0 win over Nicaragua before a first start in Tuesday’s goalless draw against Honduras. Jamaica have qualified for the last eight of the Concacaf Nations League and have booked their spot in next summer’s Gold Cup in the United States and Canada. Holgate had previously won caps for England’s under-20s and under-21s.

Torbjorn Heggem

The second Baggie to make his international debut, centre-back Heggem, 25, who has played at left-back so far in his debut season, earned a first call from Norway.

He was an unused substitute in victory over Slovenia before a first cap from the bench for the last 10 minutes in a 5-1 defeat to Austria.

Heggem said: “It was a good experience for me. Of course, it’s always going to be nice to get called up for the first time in my career.

“You have several dreams as a footballer and one of them is always to represent your nation – and I was lucky enough to get that call and make my debut as well.

“It was a great experience, even though we didn’t get the result we wanted, but to get my first minutes, that alone is a huge achievement for me.”

He added: “I would love to earn a starting spot next. The coaching staff want me to be there with them next time if that’s a possibility, and hopefully if that happens I can earn more minutes and hopefully start one day.”

Paddy McNair

Loan defender McNair, 29, is yet to play a league minute for Albion but won caps 71 and 72 for Northern Ireland in a 0-0 draw against Belarus and Tuesday’s 5-0 win over Bulgaria, featuring a hat-trick from summer reported Baggies target Isaac Price.

Mikey Johnston and Jayson Molumby

Winger Johnston and midfielder Molumby made sub Republic of Ireland appearances in the 2-0 defeat in Greece having watched on from the bench as Ireland beat Finland last week.