Benitez blasts ‘not important’ World Cup as injury list grows
The Liverpool manager also insists that there is far more chance of players being injured when they return from major tournaments as their clubs find themselves immediately playing vital Champions League matches that can dictate their future and finances.
Benitez’s side take on West Ham today at Anfield without a clutch of injured stars and with others who played in the World Cup way short of the standards he believes they require.
Harry Kewell is still suffering from a World Cup injury and Jamie Carragher could be out for another three weeks after picking up an ankle problem.
Gabriel Paletta, Stephen Warnock, John Arne Riise and Mohamed Sissoko are also out with injuries, while the match fitness and form of World Cup players Steven Gerrard, Peter Crouch, Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso has already been questioned.
Benitez believes a radical change in the World Cup format should take place. He says: “The World Cup is too long, and big clubs lose their players for something like two months.
“They come back from the finals not fit and carrying injuries because they have been playing and working so hard.
“Sure they like playing for their countries, but frankly half the World Cup is not important.
“For the first 15 days you are playing teams that do not matter and matches that do not matter. Then after that you have the best teams playing for the trophy in the last couple of weeks.
“To lose players for two months and find them playing build-up friendlies and then games against small countries is too much.
“They return not fit, with injuries, and then they have to play very important club games straight away. At big clubs you must win every game, whenever it is.”
He added: “You must play for big money for Champions League qualification when players are not ready.
“The World Cup must be played by fewer teams, players are being expected to perform too much in poor matches that don’t mean anything.
“If you lose your first club matches, people start to criticise, but you lose those games because you are not fit.”
And Benitez even had words of sympathy for Chelsea, whose manager Jose Mourinho has persistently complained about the stress and work heaped on his stars from the World Cup.
Benitez, who is more than aware that Chelsea have lost two games already this season – one to his own club – chose not to gloat, saying: “It is not the best situation this season, with two international breaks straight after the World Cup. Chelsea are having the same problem with the fitness of their players.
Benitez takes on West Ham and is likely to introduce £10million (€14.8m) Dirk Kuyt from the bench.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
