The Premier League and Championship have paused for a three-week international break, an extension from the usual two weeks. This change combines the four games previously played across the September and October international windows into a single period.
Clubs are implementing varied strategies to manage the extended break. Brentford's manager, Keith Andrews, has given the approximately 12 remaining first-team players, including Callum Wilson and Igor Thiago, a week off with individual training programmes. The squad is scheduled to reconvene on Saturday, 26 September, and will play a behind-closed-doors friendly against another English club on the weekend of 3 October.
Liverpool plans to continue training with its smaller remaining squad, incorporating a few days off. Manager Andoni Iraola anticipates having "no more than three days probably to prepare" for their home game against Manchester City on 11 October.
Aston Villa, under Unai Emery, will travel to Spain to face Sevilla in the Antonio Puerta Trophy on Friday, 2 October. Meanwhile, Championship club Blackburn Rovers, with only four international call-ups, views the break as an opportunity to integrate over 10 players returning from early-season injuries, such as Gady Beyuku and Moussa Baradji, and to allow manager Tony Mowbray to work more extensively with his squad.
In League One, the season continues unless clubs meet the EFL's criteria for three international call-ups, which allows for postponement requests. Many League One clubs have scheduled Football League Trophy fixtures during these three weeks to maintain competitive play.