The upcoming three-week international break has left some local coaches resigned to finding ways to keep their players sharp and focused.

The PSL fixture plan plus the upcoming international week will result in an extended pause between games.

The league will go on a break after tonight's fixtures, with the next top-flight games only coming on October 19 when the Telkom Knockout first round kicks off.

However, Highlands Park and SuperSport United are the exception as they will face off in the MTN8 final on Saturday, while Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs will play in the Helix Cup on October 12.

Bloemfontein Celtic and Orlando Pirates are the most affected, as they will have a gap of 21 days between games.

Not so for new Leopards coach Luc Eymael, who said: "I look forward to having more training sessions with the players and implementing my philosophy on the team."

Celtic and Pirates had their midweek games postponed to give United and Highlands a chance to prepare for the cup final.

Commenting on the break, Downs coach Pitso Mosimane said: "We will continue to field our strongest team because I need my team to score goals. There is a long break coming up and we will have to deal with it. At Sundowns we are used to playing every three days, so we'll see."

Celtic coach Lehlohonolo Seema said: "For us we'll just continue working hard. The break is part of football so it's not a problem for us.

"It's no use complaining, it's a chance to work on some things."