Manchester United striker Michael Owen believes the Premiership needs a midseason break if England are to compete successfully in tournaments.
In his column for the Telegraph, Owen wrote: "I think the question of a mid-season break and the demands of the fixture list is something worthy of debate. You look at some of our players who have been playing all season and we do not look fresh. We do seem to go into World Cups with a lot of injuries.
The Premier League demands a lot more effort than any other and your body cannot keep doing it and doing it over a full season.
"You cannot have everything. You want the best league in the world, you want fast, entertaining football which we play all season through any weather. You get all that in England, so there has to be a sacrifice somewhere and maybe it is taking its toll in the tournaments."
