Tottenham forward Son Heung-min has joined the chorus of football stars expressing concern over the escalating number of games players are required to participate in.
The South Korean international warned of a "massive" injury risk due to the relentless demands placed on athletes.
His remarks follow Manchester City midfielder Rodri's recent statements about players potentially considering strike action, a situation compounded by Rodri sustaining knee ligament damage just days later.
"You don’t want to see players struggling with injuries. No one wants to see it," Son said Wednesday. "A lot of games, a lot of traveling. We’ve got to look after ourselves, which sometimes is very hard.
"Mentally, physically, you’re not ready. Then going on to the pitch, the risk of injury is massive. We’re not robots. Don’t get me wrong, we love playing football. That’s clear.”
Rodri has ligament damage in his right knee, City said Wednesday without providing a time frame for his potential absence.
He was injured during City's Premier League game against Arsenal on Sunday while jostling with Thomas Partey in the box at a corner.
Son expressed agreement with Rodri's concerns.
"Rodri said the right things. We play 50, 60 games and not more than 70 games. When the fixtures come, the players have to play. There’s a lot going on," he said.
Last week, City manager Pep Guardiola stated it was up to players to force a change in football amid the growing dispute over the congested schedule.
The Champions League has been expanded this season with two more games in the new-look group stage.
Next year’s expanded Club World Cup in the United States will feature a 32-team event for the first time, up from seven teams. It is slated for the offseason for many major leagues in June and July.
The new Club World Cup format has prompted a legal challenge from players’ unions.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said players may take a stand.
"They may take things into their own hands. They’re the ones most affected, to be honest, so you would understand if they started to think collectively about how much they will have to continually not have a say in,” Postecoglou said. "I have spoken already about the fact we’re getting to a real dangerous level regarding our expectations around players. Instead of focusing on one or two tournaments, it’s about the calendar. That is more of an issue."
