West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Clarke has labelled next week's international break as "nonsense" as there are just eight days to go until the start of the Premier League season.
The 48-year-old, who was appointed as Roy Hodgson's successor in June, will lose a host of players to international duty in the run-up to the Baggies' opening league fixture against Liverpool next Saturday.
"More experienced and better managers have sat here and said it's a nonsense you are playing international friendlies in the week leading up to the start of the season," The Express quotes Clarke as saying.
Meanwhile, Chelsea skipper John Terry is expected to be left out of Hodgson's England side to face Italy next week.