Premier League season resumes Boxing Day with issue of player burnout on agenda

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Premier League teams face the unprecedented situation of returning from a mid-season World Cup as the season resumes on Boxing Day with the issue of player burnout on the agenda. While Norway’s absence means star striker Erling Haaland goes into Thursday’s League Cup clash with Liverpool on 39 days’ rest, save for a friendly against Girona in which he scored, City led the league with 16 World Cup players combining for 5,180 minutes of action. Spurs’ World Cup contingent average 1,993 minutes this season, the highest among Premier League clubs, with an average of over six hours at the World Cup as Lloris and Argentina defender Romero went all the way and Croatia’s Ivan Perisic featured in the semi-final and third-place play-off, with England duo Kane and Eric Dier and Brazil forward Richarlison reaching the quarters. City’s contingent average 1,603 minutes, a figure surpassed by Crystal Palace and Leeds but with only two and three players respectively at the World Cup.