The Premier League is the league hardest hit by the international break

The international break has taken a particular toll on the Premier League, which emerges as the league most affected. The count covers first-team players at clubs in Europe’s five leading competitions who suffered an injury, a knock or physical discomfort while with their national teams. Call-ups at senior and youth level are both included.

That scope takes in Javi Hernández of Espanyol and Fran González of Sevilla, who were affected while with Spain’s under-21 side. It also includes Ethan Mbappé of Lille and Senny Mayulu of Paris Saint-Germain: both had to leave the squad before France under-21s’ match against Estonia.

The Spanish league has not been the most affected by numbers, but it has also seen important players return with physical problems, including Kylian Mbappé, Raphinha and Nico Williams. Javi Hernández and Fran González are among the Spanish players affected, while Senny Mayulu and Ethan Mbappé were also hit during the break.

With club competitions set to resume this weekend, the count stands at an average of 12 players per league. After the break from club football that began in mid-September, many internationals return tired, and some are carrying physical problems.