John Obi Mikel was one of the best players in this year's African Cup of Nations, and it seemed to be a no-brainer that he'd be involved this summer when the tournament's champions went to Brazil for the Confederations Cup.
There were some doubts about whether or not that would happen though, as Mikel angered some when he wasn't available to play in Nigeria's friendly against Mexico. According to Mikel, that's not going to be an issue:
"I always love to turn out for my country. I wish to confirm that I will be in Kenya and Namibia for the World Cup qualifying games and will also be in Brazil for the Confederations Cup."
"It's also true that I would so much have loved to play in the friendly match against Mexico in America, but circumstances and logistics have made this impossible. I love to represent my country."
As mentioned earlier, Mikel was absolutely fantastic for his country during the winter, and his availability for these games will certainly improve Nigeria's chances. I'd fully expect him to be named to the Nigerian squad, along with fellow Chelsea players Kenneth Omeruo and Victor Moses. I suppose it will just add more Chelsea flavor to the summer's biggest international games, and that always makes the break from club football easier to take.