I watched some of the Brazil v Germany game in the Olympics yesterday, just to see how Douglas Luiz was playing. I was a bit dismayed to see that he looked jaded and uninterested. He did not show the normal athleticism he shows week in week out at the Villa. Do you think that after the last two seasons, which basically ran into each other without a break,
followed by the Copa America and the the Olympics, this schedule is so punishing he might be over-stretching himself?
The last two years have been quite punishing for all footballers, placing extra strain on their superfit bodies.
Do you think that this, plus the weird decision to hold the World cup in a country which is basically a desert, will have a long lasting effect on their bodies and their longevity?