Liverpool Seek to Give Internationals Extended Summer Break

The 2020-21 club season was an exhausting one that took its toll on a Liverpool side that struggled through an unprecedented injury crisis, and with many players then reporting for duty with their national teams for the Euros and Copa America, there were fears some might not get a chance to rest and recharge.

However, while club are obligated to give players two weeks off after a major summer tournament, Liverpool have set a standard of three weeks away from the game as the minimum for their players this summer and the preference would be for all to get a full month before belatedly returning for pre-season.

That’s the story this week from The Liverpool Echo, who say that sources within the club have confirmed that players will be given a longer break than in past seasons with major international tournaments. The result could mean a handful of players not fully match fit in time for the Premier League opener.

The longer term goals are self-evident, especially after a past year that seemed to show many players had been pushed beyond their physical breaking points by years of fixture overload compounded by a season compressed by coronavirus. If a longer break now means fewer injuries in January, it will be worth it.

Jordan Henderson, Thiago, Roberto Firmino, Fabinho, and Alisson are the five Reds still in action. For any player who does take part in the Euros or Copa America final, it could mean a return to Liverpool the second week of August, giving them a week in training before the season opener against Norwich.