The winter break has always been a contentious topic.
Some of the best Premier League action comes over the Christmas period, but the lack of a proper rest does seem to cause injuries and burnout towards the end of the season.
However, Arsene Wenger may be pre-empting the issue by giving just one of his key men some time off.
The Daily Mail report that Wenger fears Alexis Sanchez must be rested or he won’t be able to help the Gunners to challenge for the title.
The Chilean has already played 16 times for the club this season, more than any other player in the squad, and that’s not to mention his international fixtures as well.
Sanchez’ last full summer off was in 2013, and he has recently been struggling with a muscle injury, though Chile assured Wenger he was fit enough to play for them.
If Arsenal secure Champions League qualification this week against Paris Saint-Germain, he’s unlikely to feature against Basel in the final group game, while he’ll almost certainly sit out the FA Cup.
The 27-year-old is still stalling on signing a new contract, but it’s clear Arsenal do at least have his best interests at heart and aren’t willing to over-stretch him.
Whether that will be a factor in any decision about his future remains to be seen, but they can’t afford to lose him to injury regardless of whether he opts to stay long-term.
Check out Football Advisor for profitable betting predictions
