Kevin Whitcher
Chile played an international game against the USA last night, part of their build-up to the Copa America in June, which they are hosting. As last night was not a FIFA sanctioned date for internationals, only home-based players were called up, so no cross Atlantic return flight for Alexis Sanchez.
However, doing a little research into the Chilean’s international commitments, there is bad news. The Copa America is not only being held this summer, but due to it being the 100th anniversary of the first competition, the summer of 2016 as well (the previous finals were in 2011).
The club season in Europe ends much later than normal, presumably due to the late start after last summer’s World Cup. In England the FA Cup Final is on the last Saturday in May, whilst the Champions League final in on the first weekend in June. The Copa America starts on 11th June and finishes on July 4th. As the host nation, Chile will be optimistic that their interest in the competition lasts until its conclusion. Sanchez will be given four weeks off once Chile either play in the final or are eliminated (there is a 3rd place match), so should he make it to the last weekend, he would not return to Arsenal to begin his pre-season until the week leading up to the Community Shield.
All well and good, although when you consider he will have a similar schedule the following year, it means he will have played from the start of the 2014-15 season, right through to the summer of 2017 without a significant break aside from the statutory month off each summer that FIFA insists on for all players. Granted, at Barcelona last season, Alexis was not played habitually, and enjoyed a short break over the festive period to boot, but since his arrival at Arsenal, few would dispute he has been pushed to the physical limits.
Perhaps Alexis is some kind of superbeing that can survive three successive seasons in Arsene Wenger’s fabled ‘red zone’. The problem for the manager is that Alexis brings something to the team that is rarely matched by his colleagues in terms of tenacity, work rate, and indeed, skill. However, rotation may be the solution. The club should be able to win their less taxing matches without him, for example this weekend’s visit of a struggling Aston Villa side. The Chilean hates sitting out matches, but if he can come on from the bench for the latter period of the second half, as he did in the FA Cup match last Sunday, then he can still have an influence without completely running out of steam when he is more likely to be needed.
It will be interesting to see how much of a rest he is given over the rest of the season, because one thing looks certain – he won’t be getting too much of a break from football for two and half years.
* Description coined by Amy Lawrence
