Manchester City and Chelsea’s early-season plans may be impacted by their participation in the expanded Club World Cup
Liverpool will bid to defend their title next seasonopen image in gallery
Liverpool will bid to defend their title next season (AFP/Getty)
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Thomas Tuchel believes the Club World Cup will give Liverpool and Arsenal a major benefit in next season’s title race as he argued it will come at a considerable cost to Chelsea and Manchester City.
Reigning champions Liverpool and runners-up Arsenal have a summer off while the two Premier League spots in the expanded competition have gone to the 2021 and 2023 Champions League winners.
England manager Tuchel expects the fatigue from the month-long tournament in the United States to have a knock-on effect next season and believes there will be consequences for him, though he is trying not to worry about them right now.
But the former Chelsea manager can see how it will make a difference in club competitions as either or both of his old club and Pep Guardiola’s team could be playing in a final in New York on 13 July.
“I think it will have a huge impact and it will give Liverpool and Arsenal a huge advantage in the next season to not be there,” he said.
“I think it will be a very nice experience for the players who are there to play this tournament for the first time so it is mixed feelings about it. I decided not to worry too much because why should I? It is a given and no one knows what will be the outcome of it or the effect. We will deal with the effect when the effect comes. We have a lot of teams in Champions League next season and European football and let’s see.”
Tuchel’s England squad to face Senegal on Tuesday includes four Chelsea players who will head to the Club World Cup as well as Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane and the Real Madrid duo of Jude Bellingham and new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold.
England boss Thomas Tuchel is mulling his options ahead of a friendly against Senegalopen image in gallery
England boss Thomas Tuchel is mulling his options ahead of a friendly against Senegal (PA)
But he said none have told him they want to sit out the friendly with Senegal in Nottingham.
He added: “There is not one player who says, ‘by the way, I would like to be on the bench and save myself for the Club World Cup’ so they are hungry to play.”
Tuchel is considering whether to start one of his back-up goalkeepers against Senegal. James Trafford is uncapped and Dean Henderson has only made two senior international appearances after he chose to pick the regular Jordan Pickford against the minnows of Andorra on Saturday.
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“Jordan is, in the moment, in front,” he explained. “We chose a very, very serious line-up against Andorra to also not give the signal that we are preparing something or trying something. There was no doubt we could have played with Trafford or Dean Henderson in goal against Andorra but Jordan is, in the moment, slightly ahead. He will do everything to stay ahead and the others, hopefully, to do everything to challenge him but tomorrow could be a time to give some minutes to Dean or Trafford.”
Watch the Club World Cup live onDAZN