Hodgson: We need a holiday
ROY HODGSON thinks the football calendar must change to avoid fixture pile-ups.
The Crystal Palace boss has seen his side play a gruelling six games in 15 days.
The latest fixture – today against Derby in the FA Cup – sees the Eagles with no less than seven first-teamers out.
Mamadou Sakho is the latest on the crocked list, after pulling his hamstring at Norwich.
Hodgson reckons too many games are fitted into a short space of time – especially over the Christmas period.
And he believes the close-season length could be a factor in that.
He said: “The season at the moment finishes May 17 and starts again on August 8 this year.
“That’s half of May, all of June and July, and a bit of August.
“We are fitting 45 to 46 games that have to be played by Premier League teams in that short period of time, and you’re going to get this situation we find ourselves in.
“If you’re in Europe you have to add another four or five games.
“But that’s a very low estimate for the Liverpools, the Man Citys, the Arsenals etc, because they don’t go out in the first round of the League Cup, or the FA Cup – they get to finals.
“They don’t go out in Europe in the early rounds, they get to the knockout stages, so it’s about 50 to 55 games in probably 40 weeks.”
With the amount of injuries, Palace are likely to rotate their squad at Selhurst Park today.
Wilfried Zaha is another doubt, with speculation about a move to Chelsea increasing.
Hodgson will also reunite with Derby’s
Wayne Rooney, his former England skipper.