Only two Juventus players managed to make the scoresheet while on competitive international duty, although a handful were forced to watch the action from the bench.
Dusan Vlahovic, now being linked with a potential move to Saturday’s opponents Inter Milan next summer, was the first Juventus player to score a UEFA World Cup qualifying goal during the two-week break from Serie A.
The in-form striker lined up with team-mate Filip Kostic and grabbed what turned out to be the winner after 12 minutes against Latvia on 6 September. Serbia collected maximum points thanks to a slender 1-0 in the Daugava Stadium, Riga.
Vlahovic was aiming to show English fans what they are missing, following his agent’s unsuccessful mid-July visit to England to try and broker a deal for a Premier League switch from Juventus.
Yet he was given zero support, as Serbia collapsed to have their seven match unbeaten run halted with a 5-0 thrashing by a makeshift England side in Belgrade on 9 September.
Mixed input from Juve's Azzurri trio
Andrea Cambiaso, Federico Gatti and Manuel Locatelli were the Juventus trio named in the Azzurri squad that tackled Estonia and Israel.
Second-half substitute Cambiaso set up the penultimate goal for ex-Juve target Mateo Retegui in the 89th minute during the 5-0 hammering of Estonia inside Atalanta’s Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia. Locatelli was handed under quarter-of-an-hour to strut his stuff, but Gatti was left on the bench.
Locatelli’s brief appearance earned him a starting berth against Israel, with his 16th-minute own goal kicking off the flurry of strikes in a 5-4 thriller.
Former Juve target Sandro Tonali silenced the majority of supporters inside the Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary courtesy of his added time winner for Italy to collect three precious points.
Yildiz outwitted by Spanish stars
Kenan Yildiz, wanted by Barcelona and who played a pivotal role for Juve’s back-to-back wins to kick off their season to go joint top of Serie A with reigning champions, was unable to weave his magic for Turkey.
He was brought off with just over quarter-of-an-hour remaining during the 3-2 triumph in Georgia on September 4.
Three days later the 20-year-old emerging superstar spent the entire match chasing shadows as Spain sizzled to demolish the hosts 6-0 at the Konya Metropolitan Municipality Stadium.
Belgium center forward Lois Openda, a last-gasp deadline day transfer after the potential deal for Kolo Muani to return to Turin fell through, played 61 minutes in the 6-0 thrashing of hosts Liechtenstein on 4 September.
Having failed to score he was an unused sub when Belgium added another half-dozen goals to maul Kazakhstan 6-0 three days later.
Adzic played a bit-part for Montenegro
Montenegro’s Vasilije Adzic was introduced as a 70th-minute substitute for the home 2-0 defeat to Czech Republic on 5 September, and kept the bench warm for the humiliating 4-0 reversal at the hands of revitalized Croatia in Zagreb three days later.
France’s Khephren Thuram was an unused sub in both the 2-0 win over Ukraine at the Wroclaw Stadium in Poland on 5 September, and their 2-1 home success over Iceland three days later.
Portugal’s Francisco Conceicao had an even worse experience than Thuram. The whizzy winger watched from the bench as Portugal soared past hosts Armenia 5-0 on 6 September, and had to withdraw from the next match after sustaining a muscle injury during training. He will miss Saturday's Derby d'Italia against mighty Inter Milan.
Midfielder Teun Koopmeiners had to suffer the indignity of being axed from the Netherlands squad, so spent the two-week international break with the Turin titans.
Rouhi represented Sweden during transfer murmurs
Jonas Rouhi played briefly for Sweden in their 2027 U21 European Championship Qualifiers. He came on the last 10 minutes in the 3-0 victory over visiting Armenia, and three days later appeared as a 33rd-minute substitute during the 2-0 defeat in Montenegro.
In the background there was speculation that Rouhi would become the latest Juventus Next Gen graduate to exit the Italian giants, but the proposed deal to join Belgian Pro League outfit Westerlo never got over the line.
Goal poacher Jonathan David, whose Canada side have been granted an automatic berth in the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals as co-hosts, opened the scoring in the 3-0 win at Romania on 5 September but only played 79 minutes.
The lethal marksman was tamed by spirited Wales, hauled off at Swansea after 65 minutes during the slim 1-0 success for back-to-back wins without conceding.