Five Chelsea players are in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, squeezing in games against Andorra and Senegal between winning a European final and competing at the Club World Cup.
They will resume the Premier League in mid-August and go again for 11 months, culminating in the real World Cup.
Given the schedule, it’s been suggested Tuchel should have allowed Reece James, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Noni Madueke and Trevor Chalobah to spend time with their families rather than calling them up.
I’m firmly on the England manager’s side. His responsibility is to win the World Cup, not protect clubs about to play in an additional tournament in America for greed.
Physically, England’s double-header won’t demand a lot of intensity from the players and it’s a rare chance to spend a full week together in the Spanish sunshine and benefit the squad in terms of camaraderie.
Having the Chelsea boys involved is a help, not a hindrance, to our chances of glory next year.
Cole Palmer (left) and Reece James (right) both started in England’s 1-0 win over Andorra
The Chelsea duo both also featured in the UEFA Europa Conference League final on May 28
They will get a chance to disengage mentally after the Club World Cup and I think the other arguments regarding player welfare and too many games are overblown.
I find the argument about player burn-out a bit tedious, and I speak as someone who experienced the demands of competing at a high level.
With the size and strength of squads these days, very few players are used in every minute of every match.
Palmer, for example, sat out Chelsea’s group fixtures in Europe and the Conference League final was only his 48th game of the season for club and country — not excessive or likely to cause fatigue.
There has never been a better time to be a footballer. With the facilities and sport science available to them, no stone is left unturned when looking after them physically and mentally.
Tuchel doesn’t have any obligation to alter his plans to accommodate the Club World Cup, a contrived competition which is more exciting to those clubs raking in prize-money than the players themselves.
For Palmer and the other Chelsea lads, having spent a week in Barcelona, going to the Spanish Grand Prix and enjoying a barbecue before a game against Andorra won’t be draining or detrimental to next season.
If any of them do start to feel sorry for themselves, they should look at Mo Salah and Lionel Messi as two examples of top professionals who are always available and able to maintain exceptional standards.
Chelsea — who will compete in the FIFA Club World Cup later this month — had five players in the latest England squad, including Noni Madueke (right)
Thomas Tuchel has now overseen three wins from his first three games as England manager
And if Chelsea are concerned about some of their players next season, they can give them time off at the start of the Premier League, as Pep Guardiola has done for Manchester City.
What would have been unfair is Tuchel making concessions and not picking his strongest squad.
The manager has very limited time with his players and this has been an important week for Team England, off the pitch as much as on it as manager and team-mates get to know each other properly.
He has shown a single-mindedness I think augurs well for the World Cup.
