Cruel summer for Prem stars

PREMIER LEAGUE League finals on August players will only get a 21 and 23 respectively. three-week break before Those clubs are facing training starts again for a major fixture headache next season. and the players are not

Clubs are putting sure when they will get a round schedules to break, with deep-level squads telling them to planning going on for the report back for start of next term, most pre-season in the week notably in relation to starting on August 17. supporters.

Players are already Clubs are expecting booking holidays with fans in some shape or private jets to squeeze in form to be able to attend a mini-break between the games from the start of end of this season, on next season, and are Sunday week, and the making plans to start of the next one, accommodate them – which is expected to be even in greatly-reduced on September 12. numbers.

The FA Cup final is on Supporters attending August 1, while matches will almost Manchester City, certainly have to wear Chelsea, Wolves and face masks, and tickets Manchester United are will be sold online to still involved in European monitor closely who is competitions into coming, with the elderly August, with the Europa and vulnerable unlikely League and Champions to be allowed in. THIRD-CHOICE goalkeepers are often a special breed at Premier League clubs because they rarely get a look-in but do a solid job for the squad.

However, several clubs have been taking three goalkeepers to away games just in case, but safety protocols mean the third choice is left sitting on the team bus in the stadium while the game goes on.

FA bosses will have planning meetings with UEFA next Tuesday over England’s Nations League fixtures, which start in September against Iceland and Denmark.

The meetings will involve discussions on quarantine and the numbers allowed in to the matches.

Even though Iceland are ready to admit supporters, UEFA are almost certain to refuse, because they want a level playing field through the whole tournament and having fans is a big advantage.

IT IS difficult to remember any club finishing bottom of the Premier League getting as much positivity and good coverage as Norwich. Sporting director Stuart Webber has a strong social media profile, but he got a fierce broadside from former Canaries striker Drewe Broughton whose Twitter barbs were perhaps more entertaining than recent displays.

ENGLAND boss Gareth Southgate will attend both FA Cup semi-finals this weekend – and is free to start going to Premier League games again. Top-flight protocols allow scouts to attend games involving any of their next three opponents. That means Southgate and his assistant Steve Holland can start watching matches ahead of the Denmark and Iceland fixtures in September. Southgate has been watching games from home on TV.