Emery calls on international managers to protect players from "excessive" workloads

Unai Emery has urged international managers to do more to protect players from "excessive" workloads, after some of his Aston Villa squad played almost every minute of the three-week international break.

Captain John McGinn played all but three minutes of Scotland's four Nations League matches. Villa now face nine matches in four weeks, and Emery is worried about the risk of injury.

"We have to think about players' health"

Emery wants more national team coaches to follow the example of Germany's head coach, Jurgen Klopp, who picked two different squads for his side's four matches.

"Some coaches have been very vocal about the demands of the football calendar and the importance of protecting players from excessive workloads," Emery said. "It is a concern that deserves serious attention, particularly when players are expected to compete in several matches within a short period of time."

"Some national team managers, such as Jurgen Klopp, have even acknowledged that playing four matches during an international break is too much, and it becomes more excessive when certain players are playing virtually every minute."

"We have to think about players' health and wellbeing. We try to do that at club level and I think some national team managers are setting a good example by starting to take the same approach. Hopefully, others will follow their lead."

A system for monitoring

Emery, who previously called the extended three-week break "crazy", wants a formal approach to managing how much players play.

"I do believe there should be a system for managing players' workloads, similar to what we do at club level," he said. "It is important to monitor the minutes players are playing and take into account the physical load each player is carrying."

McGinn, who has 93 caps for Scotland, has played an average of almost 60 matches a season for club and country over the past three seasons.

A crowded calendar

The issue of player welfare has become one of the biggest arguments in football. The expanded Champions League, an expanded Club World Cup and extra international fixtures have added matches to an already packed calendar, and players' unions have warned that the demands risk more injuries and burnout.

Clubs pay their players' wages but have no control over how they are used on international duty, which is why managers like Emery are calling for cooperation rather than new rules.

What is coming up

Villa return to action with a run of Premier League and Champions League fixtures, including Fenerbahce at Villa Park on Wednesday and a trip to Newcastle on Saturday. Villa are still waiting for their first home league win of the season after a draw with Brentford before the break.

With a reshaped squad after a busy summer of transfers, Emery will be hoping his players have come back from international duty fresh enough to sustain a demanding run. The coming weeks will test the depth of the squad he has built, with several players already sidelined by injury and others still adapting to English football.