Simon Stone
BBC Sport’s chief football news reporter

It was not entirely convincing in the context of talking about his reasons for leaving Marcus Rashford on the bench at Crystal Palace on Saturday but Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag underlined the issue facing every club competing in Europe this season.

With more games and more travel leading to tighter turnarounds and fewer clear weeks, the potential for injury is high and managers are having to pick their way through the schedule.

For United, last week it was the EFL Cup, this week and next it is the Europa League, then it is internationals – and on we go. If United got to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup, they won’t have a spare midweek until well into the spring.

If Chelsea get through their next EFL Cup game, they will have a quarter-final in the same week as their last UEFA Conference League game.

“As a club, you
can’t change this, it’s more about the total industry, it’s about clubs,
players and so many others who are there in the middle of football,” he said.

“They have to work to
improve the game and find the right balance.

“At the end of the day, it’s
financial.

“We are professional, revenues have to come, but we have to balance
this out.”