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Jack Butland expects outstanding fixtures to eat into summer break

England goalkeeper also says it is tougher for goalkeepers to train at home without specialist equipment

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Stoke's Jack Butland explains why goalkeepers find it especially tricky to train without team-mates and specialist equipment during social distancing.

Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland says he is trying to treat the current period of social distancing as his summer as he expects rearranged football calendars to eat into player holidays.

The England international says he expects players' usual post-season summer holiday to be used to play rescheduled matches of incomplete competitions.

The Premier League, the EFL and women's football will continue to be suspended until April 30 "at the earliest", with current campaigns being extended indefinitely.

"It's strange. I am trying to process it as 'this our summer'," Butland told Sky Sports News.

"When we do resume I think the [rearranged schedule] will eat into that. So what I have been trying to do is treat this as the summer if you like.

"I am spending time with family, keeping busy and trying to stay fit. I've been ticking over, doing stuff in the garden, fortunately the weather has been pretty good.

"It can be quite easy to get cabin fever staying at home."

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'Trickier for 'keepers to train at home'

Butland also says it is especially difficult for goalkeepers to train from home without specialist goalkeeping coaches and equipment to work with.

Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland
Image: Butland says goalkeepers find it harder to train without specialist equipment at home

"Unfortunately my 11-month old is not quite capable of kicking balls at me yet, he's keeping me on my toes in other ways," he said.

"Until we can get back onto the training pitch it's difficult to keep up with goalkeeping work. I've been doing it long enough to know that, you can get back into your groove fairly quick.

"It's all about keeping fit, so a lot of my work has been cardio and strength-based, the club sets us sessions to complete.

"We are trying to be flexible, the club are trying to be understanding with the equipment [or lack of] that the lads have."

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