Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has delivered a warning to officials that the game’s leading stars in England are “cracking” under the pressure of an intense calendar.
The Premier League introduced a two-week staggered winter break for clubs this season, but it has had a knock-on effect for the FA Cup, with the fifth-round ties to be played this midweek, starting with the Gunners’ trip to Portsmouth on Monday.
But while the winter break was broadly welcomed in England, Arteta has warned that more must be done to help top players.
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“Something has to be done because you can see players are cracking and cracking every season,” he said.