By Hughie Southon

Alphonse Areola is the first Hammer to be named as part of his national squad – France – for the tournament being played in Qatar later this month and next,

Gareth Southgate names his squad tomorrow which seems certain to involve Declan Rice although Jarrod Bowen probably has no more than a fifty fifty chance of taking part given his form so far this season,

That would be good news for the club and lay any moral difficulties he feels at playing in this awful affair to rest.

Lucas Paqueta has been named by Brazil for event which former boss Sepp Blatter yesterday dismissed as being played in a country too small for such a global tournament.

However, he failed to mention the country’s appalling human rights issues and that immigrants, paid slave labour wages, had died during the consttruction of the various stadiums built specially in what essentially is a non-footballing country,

Appalling!