Premier clubs to tune-up in winter
PREMIER LEAGUE fans will be able to get their football fix during the World Cup after bosses gave the green light for top-flight clubs to play friendlies during the official shutdown.
The league will be mothballed on the weekend of November 12-13 because of the winter scheduling of Qatar 2022.
But clubs are to be allowed to arrange matches against each other over this period and there will be no requirement to play them behind closed doors.
Teams will have to avoid clashes with World Cup matches, which effectively rules out the opening fortnight of the tournament where there will be four group games per day.
However, the knockout stages will give the clubs opportunities to play December friendlies in what will effectively be a mini pre-season ahead of the resumption of the league on Boxing Day.
The new season, which starts a week earlier and finishes a week later than usual because of the World Cup, kicks off on Friday with Arsenal travelling to Crystal Palace.
Prior to the opening game, a decision on whether players will continue to take the knee before matches this season will made.
Several players, including Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, have stopped making the gesture because they feel it has lost impact.
Others, however, are worried that a complete halt or lesser stand might be seen as them withdrawing their support for tackling racism.
Club captains will speak to their squads this week before making a collective decision, which is expected to be announced on Thursday.
Premier League bosses have vowed to back whatever decision is made, with players having taken the knee since football returned following the first pandemic lockdown in 2020.