This weekend's Euro 2008 qualifiers will take place without several well-known players who have turned down call-ups, raising the question of whether international football has now become an 'optional extra' for top performers.

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni would love to have playmaker Francesco Totti lining up against Ukraine at his home ground, the Olympic stadium in Rome.

But although Totti is fit enough to be featuring for his club, he says he wants a break from the national team until 2007.

Totti's decision has been taken with remarkable ease by Donadoni and the rest of Italian football.

While the muted reaction may reflect the player's limited contribution to Italy's World Cup triumph, it surely also reflects a mood of resignation among most national coaches.

Sweden coach Lars Lagerback is without one of his best players this weekend after striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic rejected a call-up.

Lagerback disciplined Ibrahimovic last month, sending him home along with defender Olof Mellberg and midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson for staying out too late ahead of the qualifier against Liechtenstein.

Ibrahimovic believed the sanction was too harsh and decided not to respond to the call-up for Saturday's home game against Spain and the match in Iceland four days later.

Netherlands coach Marco van Basten has also been unable to persuade Ruud van Nistelrooy and Mark van Bommel to play this weekend.

In Brazil, Dida has retired from the national side despite being only 32, arguably the perfect age for a goalkeeper.

What is notable in all these cases is there no longer appears to be anger or particular surprise when players reject an international call.

"I do not think I can persuade someone to play in the national side or, based on FIFA's rules, make them play," said Lagerback in a statement.

Van Basten agreed, saying: "Van Bommel called me and made it clear he was no longer available. He was so determined that it was no use trying to persuade him."

In one sense the coaches are right, there seems little point in enforcing call-ups on unwilling players.

"We don't want any player who doesn't want to represent Brazil, who doesn't have any pleasure in being here," said Brazil coach Dunga.

"The player has to put his heart and soul with the team as well as his body."

France coach Raymond Domenech takes a different view.

Domenech told Chelsea's Claude Makelele he must carry on playing for France even though the midfielder wanted to retire from the international stage.

Under FIFA rules, if Makelele had refused to turn out for France he could have been suspended from playing for Chelsea.

Domenech's determination to keep Makelele has resulted in a compromise, the player agreeing to stick with France until qualification is assured for Euro 2008.

If Domenech's hardline approach pays off, other national coaches may follow suit and insist call-ups are heeded or suspensions imposed.

The Lagerback and van Basten attitude, while it has a certain logic and avoids club v country conflicts, could lead to the erosion of the status of national teams.