Pep Guardiola warns that England’s Euro 2020 chances are being hurt by excessive winter fixture schedule

Pep Guardiola has warned that England football team’s chances of success at the Euro 2020 is being threatened by demands on players.

Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford already face extended injury lay-offs after breaking down during the hectic December and January schedules.

And Guardiola fears they won’t be the last members of Gareth Southgate’s squad to suffer between now and the summer.

Raheem Sterling is effectively the last man standing in England’s first choice forward line – and the City star has looked jaded in recent weeks.

Guardiola said: “It’s a big blow for the national team. Kane and Rashford are incredibly important players for them. Hopefully there isn’t another one who does that and they can recover.

“There are still many months ahead before the Euros. It’s an incredible amount of games. Now we’re talking about it because they are injured, but looking back at the injuries Newcastle have had, we have had, all the teams. That is normal.

“With that number of games, players break down. I’m not surprised. I’m so sorry for them.

“The big administration people cannot complain because it’s normal this happens.”

Guardiola has repeatedly complained about the schedule in England and insists he is not alone in wanting the authorities to act.

“Of course it is too much to expect,” he said. “They arrive in the Euros, playing with the national teams trying their best, then back here after no more than 20 days because the business, the show, must go on.

“They have to come back. It’s unsustainable. The players fall down. It’s too much. I’m so sorry for Kane and Rashford because they are good for the league, but we demand a lot from the players, it’s too much.

“They should reflect on it, but all the managers complained about it and they don’t care. Now Boxing Day is over, another season, and prepare for the next one.

“A distance of two or three days again and again. The players suffer. They want to do well and the clubs have a lot of pressure to win or qualify for the Champions League. We push and push. The body says stop, it’s enough.

“Less games, less competitions, less teams, more quality, less quantity.”

There have been suggestions the EFL Cup should exclude Premier League teams to ease the burden on top flight players.

But Guardiola doesn’t believe that is enough.

“Then it wouldn’t be interesting,” he added. “It’d just be for the Championship teams or League One and League Two.

“Eliminate competitions, take them out completely - so less games.

“After this we are going to rest in February for one week, but then we have 72 games in one week, so it’s a bit strange. But the people thought about that.

“I think the solution is you have to make a year of 400 days – then we can book another competition, Uefa or Fifa can talk about it. We have few days a year, that’s the problem

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