"We are going to miss Rodri and Carvajal a lot"

Arsenal's Spanish international midfielder Mikel Merino acknowledged that the risk of such a busy schedule comes when, by playing "so many games", there is a moment when "the body cannot keep up with the rhythm of the head" and you can get injured.

"There is a lot of talk about injuries and the number of games. Within the profession we all have a very similar opinion. I love playing football but when you do it so often, so repeatedly, there comes a time when your body can't keep up with the rhythm that your head wants and that's when the danger comes," he said.

Mikel Merino tried not to blame the lack of rest for the serious knee injuries suffered by his international teammates Rodri Hernandez and Dani Carvajal. "We can't blame two such serious injuries together for this. We have to take care of ourselves, try to do the best we can with an unavoidable schedule. We're going to miss them a lot."

He called for all bodies to come together to make a change, arguing that the responsibility cannot fall on national team matches. "It has to be a collective thing. It's not the fault of one or the other, everyone has to feel the benefit of the players being in top form because it will make for a better spectacle, more goals and a higher standard of play."

"That is something that FIFA, UEFA and all the fans want, that the spectacle is better and not that we play more matches of lower quality that are of no interest to anyone. It's everyone's responsibility that we reach a neutral point and solve all this," he said.