**Arsenal, Villa and Man Utd among clubs facing World Cup hangover fears**
The World Cup may be done and dusted, but its impact could still be felt across the Premier League as clubs return for pre-season, according to Sky Sports.
With several top-flight sides sending significant numbers of players to the tournament, concerns are growing over fatigue, delayed pre-season preparation and injury risk heading into the new campaign. Sky Sports name Arsenal, Aston Villa and Manchester United among the clubs potentially hit hardest, given the volume of internationals involved and the compressed turnaround before domestic football resumes.
The knock-on effects are twofold: players returning later than teammates miss valuable fitness and tactical work under their managers, while others carry physical wear from a gruelling international schedule straight into a fresh season. That combination has historically been linked to early-season dips in form and a higher likelihood of muscular injuries.
As reported by Sky Sports, managers at the affected clubs will now have to carefully manage minutes and recovery for their World Cup contingent, balancing squad freshness against the demands of an unforgiving opening fixture list.