Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips has admitted some of the England squad have felt the affects of fatigue more than usual over the international period. The Three Lions have played four Nations League matches in the space of just 10 days on the back of an intense season of Premier League and European football.
For players at the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham United, the number of matches in the season has been as high as ever, with all four going deep in Europe and the domestic cup competitions. Liverpool played every possible game over the course of the campaign, while Chelsea fell just three short after being knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Questions over the intense schedule for players have been raised on several occasions in recent years, and with a World Cup midway through the season this year, it is only going to get harder. That is despite a minimal period of rest for many of football’s elite, who will be returning to their clubs for pre-season in the not-too-distant future.
