Clubs after the International Break: Arsenal and Liverpool will suffer following injuries to players
The international break is over, and the league matches will now resume after a gap of two weeks. During this time, many European teams played in their qualification campaigns for Euro 2012. Many other players from outside of Europe joined their national sides in training camps and friendly fixtures against other teams. The outcome of these two weeks of football would be felt by the clubs as soon as their players reach back from their home countries.
The club managers have always kept a grudge against the national football federations, as they feel that their players are often harmed by these international breaks. However, sometimes clubs do benefit from these training camps, because their out-of-form players often need a break like this in order to bounce back into form.
Arsenal’s manager, Arsene Wenger, is always wary of these international breaks, because he often feels that his players are worst affected by them. Last season, Wenger felt that his team’s chances went down after Robin Van Persie got injured while playing for Netherlands. Unfortunately, this break has not proven to be fruitful for Wenger, as his team would face further injury troubles in the coming weeks. Firstly, Robin Van Persie got himself injured once again while playing in a match for Netherlands. Also, Theo Walcott got himself injured as well when English faced Switzerland in their second match of the qualifying round. Both these players are expected to stay out for many weeks.
The biggest loss for Arsenal would be of Theo Walcott. The young Englishman was flying high at the moment, coming up with extraordinary performances and four goals in Arsenal’s recent victories. On the other hand, Wenger was using a cautious approach for Van Persie, who did not seem fit. However, he was rendered fit by Van der Marwijk, the Dutch coach. Therefore, it resulted in a big loss for the club.
Liverpool will also be affected by the international break. Dirk Kuyt also got himself injured during the training session, and he is expected to stay out for at least a month. Dirk Kuyt is a very important player for Liverpool this season, so an injury to him is a big setback for the team. Apart from that, there are rumours that Jermain Defoe might be in trouble with an injury, which would be a grave loss to his Tottenham side, who are also starting their Champions League campaign in the next week.
The clubs would definitely show their anger over these injuries, and the national sides would be blamed for taking players for granted. The clubs are the ones who pay wages to these players, so they are right in showing their grievances.
On the other hand, some players have found their rhythm during this international break. The biggest prize would be received by Liverpool, as their striker Fernando Torres seems to be back in form after a very long time. Torres scored twice in his team’s qualification match, which would be a big plus for Liverpool, who has been looking for Torres to get back into form. Also, Jermain Defoe scored a hat-trick for England, which would be a good sign for Tottenham, if he survives the injury scare.
Also, Manchester United would gain a lot from this international break. Wayne Rooney has not been able to perform for either club or country since his injury towards the end of last season. However, Rooney came up with three assists in his first match for England, and he found the net in the match against Switzerland. This is a great sign, not only for Capello but also for Sir Alex Ferguson, Rooney’s coach at Manchester United.
However, the best player of this international break is the Dutch striker, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Huntelaar scored five goals in two matches for Netherlands, which is a promising sign for his German club Schalke.
All the clubs will be hoping that their players continue their good form when they return to play for them. On the other hand, Arsene Wenger and other managers, who are affected by this international break, will look furious in coming press conferences. And rightly so.
Tags: