The ongoing discussions regarding future structural changes to the game, such as the introduction of new tournaments (eg. Fifa Club World Cup), further intensify this challenge. These changes have the potential to significantly reduce the downtime available to elite players, affecting their recovery and overall well-being.
The two which perform best across the three European competitions this season will be handed European Performance Spots (EPS). That means fifth place in the Premier League table could go from being a Europa League place to a ticket into the Champions League - Newcastle benefited this way last season. But will an English club get that reward again? To work out who are the successful nations, Uefa takes into consideration the overall performance of clubs in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.
The absence of the wantaway Lucas Paqueta has given Mateus Fernandes a chance to take on more responsibility for West Ham. Paqueta, who is said to be nursing a minor back problem, was unavailable again for last week's win against Spurs but Nuno Espirito Santo's struggling side coped without the Flamengo target. They called on Fernandes to dictate the flow in midfield and the diligent Portuguese did not disappoint.