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Qatar 2022 World Cup: Wu Lei starts for Espanyol before returning for China duty
- Forward plays 57 minutes in 2-0 loss to Cartagena before returning to meet up with national team for Qatar 2022 qualifiers
- Wu, who has not played for China since November 2019, has had a stop-start season in Spain’s Segunda Division
China’s star footballer Wu Lei has ended his season with Spanish side Espanyol to return home for his country’s crucial Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
Wu signed off with a rare start for the Segunda Division side – his first since the teams met previously on December 2 and only his eighth start of the season before being substituted in the 57th minute.
Chinese media outlet Titan Sports wrote on Twitter that Wu, who is the only overseas-based player in the squad, would be back in China on May 18 to join up with the national team.
China’s hopes of qualifying for the Qatar 2022 Fifa World Cup rest on matches with Guam, Maldives, Philippines and table-topping Syria, which kick off on May 30.
Li Tie has called Wu up for the first time since November 2019 when he scored in China’s qualifying loss to Syria. These will be Li’s first competitive games in charge since taking over from Marcello Lippi on a permanent basis.
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Last season he scored four goals in La Liga, which came despite him contracting and recovering from Covid-19. The highlight came with his goal in the derby match with Barcelona.
The forward scored three times in the 2018-19 season despite only arriving from Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG in the January transfer window.
Wu’s goals helped Espanyol to finish seventh and qualify for the Uefa Europa League in his first season in Spain.
China’s star footballer Wu Lei has ended his season with Spanish side Espanyol to return home for his country’s crucial Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
Wu signed off with a rare start for the Segunda Division side – his first since the teams met previously on December 2 and only his eighth start of the season before being substituted in the 57th minute.
Chinese media outlet Titan Sports wrote on Twitter that Wu, who is the only overseas-based player in the squad, would be back in China on May 18 to join up with the national team.
China’s hopes of qualifying for the Qatar 2022 Fifa World Cup rest on matches with Guam, Maldives, Philippines and table-topping Syria, which kick off on May 30.
Li Tie has called Wu up for the first time since November 2019 when he scored in China’s qualifying loss to Syria. These will be Li’s first competitive games in charge since taking over from Marcello Lippi on a permanent basis.
Last season he scored four goals in La Liga, which came despite him contracting and recovering from Covid-19. The highlight came with his goal in the derby match with Barcelona.
The forward scored three times in the 2018-19 season despite only arriving from Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG in the January transfer window.
Wu’s goals helped Espanyol to finish seventh and qualify for the Uefa Europa League in his first season in Spain.