Festive fixtures shake-up to avoid burnout

THE Premier League will announce today that they are pushing back a round of fixtures over the festive period in a bid to ease player burnout after the winter World Cup.

The traditional Boxing Day matches remain but the usual December 28 games are scrapped, to avoid teams having to play twice in three days when the competition resumes after Qatar 2022. Those matches will now be played on New Year’s eve, with a further round of games on January 2.

The move follows pressure from leading managers including Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, as well as the Professional Footballers’ Association. england manager Gareth Southgate has warned about the impact the World Cup will have on players, especially those at clubs competing in europe.

england’s players were finally released for their summer break after Tuesday’s 4-0 home defeat by Hungary. Some will have less than three weeks off before reporting back to their clubs for a season that begins earlier than usual, on August 6, to accommodate the winter World Cup. A hectic run of fixtures culminates in round 16, on November 12-13, before a break for the World Cup. The FA have asked the Premier League to avoid scheduling any Sunday clashes between Big Six clubs on the weekend before the World Cup kicks off.