Why Burnley, and the Premier League, are not in action this weekend

The break was first introduced in the 2019/20 season, which was later put on hold for three months due to the pandemic.

But it was scrapped last season due to the season starting later, in September, meaning a more hectic schedule than usual.

The idea is to protect players from burnout and reduce the risk of injuries, but while it comes after what is traditionally a frantic festive period, Covid-19 has again caused chaos, with a total of 22 matches postponed so far this campaign, of which Burnley still have to re-arrange four fixtures.

The Premier League resisted the opportunity to re-arrange any of the games during the winter break, with Burnley’s next game, at home to Watford on Saturday, February 5th, the next fixture to go ahead.

The Premier League will then resume in midweek, on Tuesday, February 8th, as the Clarets host Manchester United, while Everton take on Newcastle United, and West Ham entertain Watford.

The remainder of top-flight clubs will be back in action on the weekend of February 12th, except for Champions League winners Chelsea, who won’t return to Premier League action until the following weekend, after travelling to the United Arab Emirates to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup.