The winners and losers as the Premier League takes a break

The international break has come as a good time for some Premier League clubs, and a bad time for others.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the winners and losers this fortnight.

Liverpool

Injuries to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah did not prevent the Reds from reaching the FA Cup semi-final after a hard-fought win at Nottingham Forest. It is hoped at Anfield that Alexander-Arnold’s hamstring issue will not sideline him for too long, although whether he will be fit for the highly-anticipated title showdown at Manchester City on April 10 remains to be seen. Salah’s foot injury will benefit from the enforced break and he should be available throughout a hectic April.

Manchester City

City have been handed a boost with the surprise news that Kevin De Bruyne has been left out of the Belgium squad. The midfielder was not considered for the friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Burkina Faso, meaning he will get a welcome two-week rest ahead of the run-in. Belgium manager Roberto Martinez confirmed he wanted to look at some younger players. The same applies to Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku.

Leeds

The break is probably not so welcome at Elland Road, where there is clear momentum following back-to-back wins under new boss Jesse Marsch, giving the Whites some much-needed breathing space between themselves and the bottom three. However,  the action resumes with winnable fixtures against Southampton, Watford and Crystal Palace – and midfield lynchpin Kalvin Phillips and captain Liam Cooper will hope their fitness issues are behind them for those games.

Everton

A fortnight to stew on an embarrassing 4-0 FA Cup capitulation at Crystal Palace is the last thing Everton boss Frank Lampard needs. The Toffees head into the break just three points above the relegation zone and will not be back in action until they travel to Lampard’s former club West Ham on April 3. They then face a pivotal midweek trip to Burnley before a visit from Manchester United. Lampard has a lot of soul-searching to do in the meantime.