For the first time, we have witnessed a mid-season men’s football world cup. As Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp put it, this is going to be a “really long season” for players.
With previous world cups, players usually got two to three weeks off before starting their pre-season training for their respective clubs. This allowed for a cushion of several weeks before they started Premier League play. But this year, Premier League fixtures will resume on December 26, only eight days after the World Cup final. So for the teams who advance further in the competition, they will have very little time off before they return to Premier League play.
It’s been reported that many Premiership managers are often apprehensive of players going on international duty due to the risk of injury and the knock-on effect this has on their club’s performance. It’s no wonder, especially since research from previous Fifa World Cups shows these tournaments increase the likelihood of injuries to players. It’s thought that a mid-season Fifa World Cup may cause an even greater increase in the likelihood of players suffering injury and over-training.
