Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes clubs like Leeds United will be at a disadvantage when the Premier League restarts due to having less players at the World Cup. The Whites have just three members of their squad heading to Qatar, which is the second least amount in the division.
On the other end of the scale, Leeds' first opponents post-World Cup Manchester City have 16 players set to feature in the tournament, almost the entirety of their first team squad. Players not called up to represent their country have been granted this week to rest, before taking on their own personalised fitness plans next week ahead of a return to training on or around Monday 28 November.
Leeds will then face a friendly on Friday 16 December against Real Sociedad at Elland Road in a bid to increase their match fitness before returning to Premier League action. It is that six-week break, without a competitive match for much of the squad, that Murphy thinks sides like Leeds will be hindered.
