The first international break of the English football season has started, with both the Premier League and Championship pausing play for three weeks. This is a change from the usual two-week break, as clubs have consolidated the previous September and October breaks into a single, longer period. The decision aims to simplify the schedule for teams, but it also presents challenges, particularly for clubs with many players involved in international matches. Brentford, for example, have most of their squad away on international duty, with around 12 players remaining at the club’s training facility. Manager Keith Andrews has given his first-team players a week off, with individual training programs to follow. The squad will regroup on Saturday, 26 September, and play a behind-closed-doors game against another English club during the weekend of 3 October. This friendly could give players like Nathan Collins and Sepp van den Berg a chance to return to action. In the second international break, Brentford will play Brighton on 8 November and face Everton on 21 November. While players may have occasional days off, the training schedule will generally follow a normal routine, without a friendly before the match against Everton. Liverpool will continue training with a small group of players, with a few days off in between. Manager Andoni Iraola mentioned he would have “no more than three days probably to prepare” for the home game against Manchester City on 11 October. Meanwhile, Aston Villa has a different international break planned. Manager Unai Emery will return to his former club Sevilla for a match in the Antonio Puerta Trophy on 2 October. The game is a tribute to Antonio Puerta, a former Sevilla player who passed away in 2007. In the Championship, the impact of international call-ups is less severe compared to the Premier League. Blackburn Rovers, for example, have only four players called up. Manager Tony Mowbray sees the break as a positive opportunity to reintegrate injured players like Gady Beyuku and Moussa Baradji. He plans to give players a few days off during the week, allowing some to return home to Portugal. The club will have a few days of training, followed by a short break before resuming pre-match routines ahead of the home game against Cardiff. Mowbray is also looking to arrange a behind-closed-doors friendly with a Premier League or League One team to help players recover from injuries and maintain fitness. In League One, the three-week international break has not led to a long pause for most clubs. Only four of the 12 matches have been postponed on each of the two weekends, and many clubs have scheduled Football League Trophy fixtures during this time. Twelve teams will play two trophy matches, while 10 clubs will play once. Leyton Orient and Reading are at risk of not having a game, but both have only had one league match postponed, so they will not go three weeks without a game.