The Premier League should sit up and take notice of Manchester United 's disastrous start to the season as a warning of what the rest of the league could look like next campaign.
In the wake of league officials confirming an altered fixture list for next season, United's misfiring stars have provided the perfect example of what could happen when international football begins to dominate the calendar.
There is seemingly a worrying trend between the players who featured for England at Euro 2020 in the summer and those who are now underperforming at Old Trafford.
After earning plaudits for his performances at international level, United skipper Harry Maguire has arguably had his worst season since making the move to Manchester two years ago and we are just four months in.
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Maguire is not alone in his dismal showings, Luke Shaw has also had a season to forget - his lowest point undoubtedly coming in the recent derby defeat at home to Pep Guardiola's side.
In United's two most painful defeats this term to Liverpool and City respectively, both Maguire and Shaw have been a world away from the kind of form they displayed for England in the summer.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side are not alone in their struggles, local rivals City have also seen their England stars have a faltering start - Jack Grealish's showings yet to live up to his £100m price tag, while Raheem Sterling has found starts hard to come by.
John Stones has made just three Premier League appearances for Pep Guardiola's side, out of favour after featuring in every game for England at Euro 2020.
Harry Kane's slow start has been well-documented, usually so lethal in front of goal - the Spurs talisman has just one league strike to his name in ten games.
There is every chance this is down to the lack of rest all of the talents have had since helping the Three Lions reach the final of Euro 2020 in July.
And yet, the rest period between the 2022 World Cup final and the resumption of the Premier League season is even shorter than it was following the conclusion of the Euros.
Just eight days separate the final kick of a ball in Qatar and the return of English club football on Boxing Day.
Given the multi-cultural nature of the stars in the Premier League, a mid-season World Cup will be damaging to a number of clubs for a whole host of reasons.
As well as an inevitable decline in form, players are much more likely to sustain serious muscle injuries as a result of the lack of rest they have had.
The final round of Premier League fixtures before next year's tournament fall on November 12/13, before players will likely immediately jet out to Qatar for the beginning of the competition on the November 21.
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Given the pace and physicality of which the Premier League is played at, many stars may arrive at the tournament already feeling the strain - though that is of little concern to league officials.
What should be a worry however, is the likelihood of a number of players returning and delivering the kind of performances that are currently a regular occurrence at Old Trafford courtesy of their England Euro 2020 representatives.
An entire World Cup wedged a month either side of a hectic club schedule during the festive period will mean one thing for the English game - a decline in the very quality the product prides itself on.
Those at the top of the Premier League should expect a flurry of fatigued, misfiring and crocked stars once they touch back down on English soil.
