One of the most important and decisive periods in this season will come during a month when a ball won't be kicked in the Premier League.
In seven weeks' time, the domestic campaign will grind to a halt at a point in the programme when it has usually just started to gather some momentum. Players will jet off to spend time with their countries playing in a tournament that remains the pinnacle, just not usually at this time of the year.
The looming presence of the winter World Cup in Qatar is uncharted territory for every Premier League club, manager and player. It's acting as something of a leveller in a season that nobody has experienced before.
