Burnley manager Vincent Kompany could start to rotate out some of his big-name players for this afternoon's match against Sunderland in order to rest their legs for matches next week.
The Clarets might find themselves without defenders Ian Maatsen and Jordan Beyer after they both missed the 1-1 draw against Birmingham City earlier this week and with Jack Cork a game away from suspension, he could be another Kompany looks to sit out for a big game against Norwich next week.
Both Sunderland and Burnley will both have hectic schedules ahead of this year's Qatar World Cup with the Black Cats having five games in the next three weeks while the Clarets have six league games and a Carabao Cup Third Round match against Crawley Town.
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The large amount of games in such a short space of time means every side will have to manage their minutes well, rotating out stars in order to give youngsters valuable experience while resting their legs for big upcoming matches.
Speaking ahead of today's game, Kompany highlighted the hectic schedule his side faces, and claimed that he'll make his decision close to kick-off as to who he rotates out.
"I think we would all have come to the conclusion that there are a few players that we need to be a little bit more mindful of, because of previous injuries, age, or the very relentless nature of this calendar," said Kompany.
"I can't tell you exactly when, you can't pin a date, you just go game-by-game. You have a look at symptoms, if they're good you keep them on the pitch, if there are signs of fatigue then you have to be ahead of it. That's the way to manage it with experienced players.
"You've had different heroes at different times this season. It always depends on the guys who are replacing and how they perform. If it happens then we have to have full confidence in the other players to relieve the load a little bit.
"We'll see when it happens, it's something we'll have to manage, we'll need to have conversations with the lads, because the last thing we want to happen now is to lose anyone for two or three weeks."
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