Norwich City manager Chris Hughton has hit out against this week's international fixtures with concern over the fitness of his players.

The Canaries have seven players away on duty for their respective nations, including John Ruddy and Robert Snodgrass, just days before the new 2013-14 Premier League season gets underway this weekend.

"In all honesty all I'm concerned about is those lads come back in one piece," EDP 24 quotes Hughton as saying. "We have four players involved in a big game at Wembley and in terms of how many we lose in total it is disappointing. I suppose some clubs will lose even more.

"It is something as a manager I can't do anything about, but I am sure if you speak to any Premier League manager they would say they can't see the sense in playing these games three days before your first league game of the season."

Norwich begin their campaign with a clash against Everton.