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The 2020-21 UEFA Nations League marked the return of competitive international football in Europe for the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak.
With the major football leagues across the continent only ending last month due to the pandemic, many players haven't had much of an off-season before they returned to international duty.
However, a few of them would be fresher than the others as they didn't feature as frequently for their clubs as they would have hoped to. There are a multitude of reasons for the same like injury, loss of form or being considered surplus to a club's requirements.
On that note, let us take a look at five such big-name European footballers who have recently played more for their countries than for their clubs.
NOTE: This list is in no particular order.
#1 Niklas Sule (Bayern Munich/Germany)
Due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury suffered during Bayern Munich's Bundesliga game against Augsburg in October, Niklas Sule spent large swathes of last season on the sidelines.
Prior to rupturing his ligament, the 24-year-old was a regular for both club and country as he played a pair of friendlies either side of five Euro 2020 qualifying games for Germany in 2019.
The centre-back returned from his injury last month and was on Bayern Munich's bench in a few Champions League games before making an appearance as a substitute in the Bavarian's club win over Paris St. Germain in the final.
Sule made his first international start in nearly a year when he played in Germany's 1-1 UEFA Nations League draw with Spain on Thursday.
#2 Julian Draxler (Paris St. Germain/Germany)
Since moving to French champions Paris St. Germain (PSG) in the summer of 2016, Julian Draxler featured prominently for the club for three seasons before seeing his game-time drastically coming down in 2019-20.
It has now been rumoured that Draxler could make a return to the Bundesliga after the winger has become surplus to requirements under compatriot Thomas Tuchel. The German came on as a late substitute in the Champions League final but couldn't make an impact as PSG fell to Bayern Munich.
The 26-year-old played in Germany's Euro 2020 qualifying games against Belarus and Estonia last year and also featured in the 2014 FIFA World Cup champions' 1-1 draw on Thursday against Spain in the UEFA Nations League.
#3: Olivier Giroud (Chelsea/France)
2018 FIFA World Cup winner Olivier Giroud struggled for game-time under new Chelsea manager Frank Lampard as he made only 18 Premier League appearances for the London club last season.
Although he would be happy with his goal return of eight, which was more than what he had cumulatively managed in his first two seasons at the club, Giroud mostly came off the bench and rarely started under the former Chelsea player.
Despite his intermittent club appearances, the striker played all ten games in France's successful Euro 2020 qualifying campaign last year, scoring six goals which included winners against Iceland (away) and Moldova (home).
The Frenchman has been named in the reigning World champions' squad to take on Sweden in their 2020-21 UEFA Nations League opener as he closes in on 100 appearances for Les Bleus even as rumours continue to swirl over his club future.
#4: Antoine Greizmann (Barcelona/France)
After making a high-profile €120 million move from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona last summer, Antoine Greizmann lost his scoring touch as he recorded his first sub-10-goal La Liga season for the first time since 2011-12.
The Frenchman did not start enough games as he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings while playing away from his preferred position. Goals were also hard to come by in Europe as the 29-year-old striker's domestic form spilled onto the continental stage.
Nevertheless, Greizmann remained a fixture with his national team as he played all ten Euro 2020 qualifying games in France's successful campaign. The Barcelona striker has expectedly been named in Les Bleus' opening game against Sweden in the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League.
#5 Gareth Bale (Real Madrid/Wales)
It is no secret that Gareth Bale has become surplus to requirements under new Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane.
The Welshman played only 16 games all season and featured in only two of 11 games after the resumption of football following the COVID-19 outbreak as Real Madrid won the Liga title.
Bale failed to make the Real Madrid squad for the Champions League Round of 16 second-leg tie against Manchester City as the record 13-time winners crashed out at the first knockout round for the second consecutive season.
Despite uncertainties over his club future, Bale featured in eight Euro 2020 qualifying games for Wales and also played in the country's 1-0 win over Finland on Thursday.
