Jones not sure Championship clubs need a break for the 2022 World Cup

Hatters boss Nathan Jones isn’t convinced that second tier clubs need a break for the World Cup in Qatar next season.

Earlier this month, the English Football League (EFL) confirmed that the 2022-23 Championship season will pause on November 12 to December 10 to incorporate the tournament.

Although Town could be without keeper Simon Sluga, who is part of the Croatia squad that qualified recently, while defender Tom Lockyer might be involved, if Wales make it through the play-offs, Jones wasn’t sure it was the right call, saying: “They’re going to do a World Cup over Christmas, so everything else has to stop.

“They’ve made that decision, I’m not sure how massively if affects the Championship, how many will be going to the World Cup.

“I would imagine it will be the same amount of people who go to the African Cup of Nations in the Championship that go to the World Cup, so I don’t really know why it has to stop as maybe they could look in that.

“Obviously people could sign World Cup players, but if people are depleted because they have four or five going away for a month, then of course.

“But if there’s the one or two sporadic ones then it’s no different to the African Cup of Nations which you usually have in January, where teams have one or two in that.

“I’m not sure it’s the right thing, I’m sure a lot of people will take a Christmas break, but I’m not sure it’s needed if you like.”