Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
It's a standard excuse for poor form at the start of the season: the players are tired, they've not had a proper rest or they're given an extended holiday (and truncated pre-season) after doing well in the World Cup.
There's a big discrepancy in some Premier League squads. A couple of teams won't be sending any players at all, while one of the biggest teams will be sending fifteen players to Russia.
Here are the five teams who might be given the biggest headaches next season: