LONDON – The 2023-24 Premier League season will kick off on Aug 12 and will have a mid-season player break in January, English football’s top flight said on Tuesday.

This season will be paused after this weekend’s games for the Nov 20-Dec 18 World Cup in Qatar, and it will resume on Dec 26 with Boxing Day fixtures.

The final round of the season is scheduled for May 28, giving players nearly 11 weeks before the next season starts.

“The season schedule returns to normal following the Covid-19 pandemic and the Fifa World Cup 2022, which (disrupted)... the previous three seasons,” the league said.

“In keeping with commitments made to clubs this season to address the congested schedule across Christmas and New Year, no two rounds in this period will take place within 48 hours of each other.”

The 2023-24 campaign will finish on May 19, 2024, while the mid-season break is scheduled for Jan 13-20. REUTERS