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UEFA Nations League — England’s Withdrawals Expose Workload Crisis, Says PFA Chief
Maheta Molango said five England withdrawals show elite players are being pushed beyond physical limits by an overloaded schedule.
On Tuesday, England manager Thomas Tuchel saw five players withdraw from his squad ahead of the upcoming Nations League matches, including Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, and Tino Livramento.
Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Maheta Molango described the current calendar as a "sick" system placing unreasonable demands on players, warning that expanded World Cup and Club World Cup formats were introduced for reasons "which have nothing to do with the good of the game."
Molango called Palmer a "victim of the calendar," noting the issue spans Europe with recent withdrawals from Germany's Kai Havertz, Dutch striker Brian Brobbey, and France captain Kylian Mbappe. "Is it a football where the people who make us dream just cannot perform?" he asked.
Tuchel expressed frustration at Palmer's withdrawal, claiming the forward "misses too many opportunities" to prove his commitment; Molango rejected this, stating players love representing their national team, but "unfortunately your body puts a limit to it."
Molango advocates for a mandatory three-week summer break and three weeks of "retraining" annually, though Premier League chief football officer Rebecca Caplehorn argued that without regulatory change, "it's not possible for us to deliver that.