Arsene Wenger has suggested that it is almost impossible for his players who appeared at the World Cup to prepare properly for the new season.
The Gunners have travelled to the USA to meet New York Red Bulls, and they will also take part in a training camp in Austria before hosting the Emirates Cup, and Wenger admits that the schedule is far from ideal.
"We've never been to the States before and I was very happy to come to New York – a city I love, but for purely football reasons, the best thing to do is stay and not travel too much because of the time you waste and the jet-lag you suffer is not ideal," the Frenchman told reporters.
"This season is a post-World Cup year and very difficult because the time is very short between the final, which was on July 13, and the start of the new season on August 16, and compulsorily, from FIFA, you are obliged to give four weeks' holiday to the players.
"So, I don't know how all that works together. It looks, to me, impossible."
Arsenal will also meet Manchester City in the Community Shield on August 10 before the new Premier League season begins.
Callum Mulvihill
