Jurgen Klopp has never been shy to voice his displeasure at the strain put on his players by an ever-growing football schedule, with 2022 set to be the toughest year for his squad yet. With Liverpool chasing an unprecedented quadruple, they’ll face a shorter summer break this summer due to next year’s Premier League campaign getting underway early on August 6 to accommodate the mid-season World Cup in Qatar.
Breaking up for the tournament on November 13, ahead of its start on November 21, the Reds will be back in domestic action on Boxing Day - just over a week after the World Cup final on December 18. And with the draw for the tournament taking place on Friday, the German will already have a rough idea of which of his players will have international commitments in the Middle East come winter.
With 32 nations set to compete at this year’s World Cup, 20 countries have already secured their place in Qatar as we come to the end of the final rounds of qualification and play-offs during the March international break. However, the final UEFA play-off will take place in June while two inter-confederation play-offs are also scheduled for the summer.
