Mauricio Pochettino has described next weekend's international break as "crazy" as he prepares to part from his Tottenham Hotspur players just three games into the season.
The Argentine watched his players salvage a point against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool at White Hart Lane when a second-half Danny Rose strike leveled the scores after James Milner put the visitors ahead from the spot.
Pochettino had described how he wanted Spurs to gain momentum in his programme notes for the game, but now sees the parting from his players as impeding that.
"It is not a perfect break because all the international players are involved with the international teams," Pochettino said.
"We need time, maybe a few months to put all [the players] in the same level. It is crazy. It is crazy, crazy that we stop again the competition, and [the players] are involved with the national team again. We have 60,70 percent of our squad involved with international duties so it's difficult to increase our level."
Tottenham right-back Kyle Walker was one of Pochettino's team expected to be heading off on international duty with England next weekend for the first 2018 World Cup qualifier against Slovakia.
But a first-half injury saw Walker replaced and taken straight down the tunnel, with Pochettino unsure of whether he would be fit for Sam Allardyce's bow as England manager.
Walker's substitution saw Vincent Janssen make his Premier League debut, as Pochettino reshuffled his team and Eric Dier went into the right-back position.
"I think we started well," the Spurs boss said. "After 15 minutes we have a problem with Walker, he is sick. We changed our plan and played with two strikers. The plan for playing against Liverpool we had to change.
"In the second half we increase our level, we play better, not well, but we compete a lot better.
"We must take risk in the second half. They have some chances but not too much. But we play better.
"I am very pleased with the performance. The effort was fantastic, and the character we showed today."
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