With the World Cup fast approaching, it feels like almost every day a new player is pulling out of the tournament through injury.
Ben Chilwell, Timo Werner, Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante. Just a few of the big names to have suffered an injury ahead of the upcoming World Cup. Naturally, with the tournament being held in the middle of the season, we’re going to see more injuries than usual, and Stan Collymore has explained why he thinks players are pulling out frequently at the moment.
“I hope this is the first and last time the World Cup is in November. The Premier League is the world’s toughest league and you’re going to have no preparation for the tournament with your country going into a World Cup which is a disgrace due to the temperature, the cultural aspect etc.
It will be interesting to see during the last fixtures before the World Cup, with Gareth Southgate watching, how the players will perform. With the injuries, I think the players are maybe trying too hard. One or two players might be thinking I could have a little tactical hamstring injury and have a break for the World Cup and save myself for the next tournament in a proper football country like Germany, and concentrate on my longevity for my club career.”
Trying too hard to impress or playing more games than you usually would is probably the main reason we’re seeing so many injuries. Players are desperate to play in the World Cup and do enough to impress their manager.
However, Collymore has suggested we may be seeing some players pulling out in order to have a break for a couple of months.
Due to the ongoing issues surrounding the Qatar World Cup, players may be considering seeing the World Cup as an opportunity for rest during a tournament which is likely to be considered as one of the worst in history due to the politics, temperature, and time of year.