Everton ace Richarlison could miss start of season due to international commitments
Everton attacker Richarlison could be one of the few Premier League players to miss the start of next season as the Olympic Games conclude only one week before the top flight matches commence.
According to The Liverpool Echo, the Brazilian FA have asked Everton to release attacker Richarlison to let him play in the Olympic Games that were scheduled to take place last summer.
The Games’ football final is scheduled for August 7 while the Toffees kick start their new Premier League campaign seven days later against Southampton.
Richarlison, who’s currently representing Brazil at the Copa America, will only have a 10-day break before the Olympics begin – leaving him with little to no rest if he is to play in the Games and the first match of the new season.
It’s understood that Everton are reluctant to let the 24-year-old play in Tokyo as they want him fit and ready for the game against Southampton.
Should not cave
Since the return of football from the lockdowns last season, players have been burned out due to the frenetic nature of football games and the lack of rest they would have received in a normal season.
To add to that, once the domestic seasons finished, a number of them are now playing at Euro 2020 or Copa America without an extended period of rest.
Playing in another tournament before the start of next season would be absolutely exhausting and could have devastating effects on their bodies as they’re conditioned to some time off the training pitch before they’re ready to go again.
The Copa America is on July 11 (BST), leaving Richarlison with only a few weeks to recuperate before he returns for our late pre-season training/games, and playing the Olympics would mean that he would have to miss the start of next season.
We believe the club are well within their rights to reject the Brazilian FA’s request for the player Carlo Ancelotti once called ‘Fantastic’. [Guardian]
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