Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and West Ham United will be treated to a mini winter break next season but have been banned from taking advantage.
The Premier League has confirmed it will allow players to have one full weekend off from action for the first time.
Players from across all the top-tier London clubs will be offered the chance to rest up once over a two-week period.
Five games will take place one weekend and the other five matches from the round will be played the week following that. It means half of the division resting up for one weekend each.
It will be a welcome addition to the calendar for players across the Premier League who have been eager for similar treatment to some of their European counterparts, who enjoy a winter break.
But it has been reported that Premier League teams will not be allowed to take advantage of the free weekend and organise lucrative friendlies, with Arsenal recently facing Al-Nasr in Dubai last month.
Although, they will be able to take their players abroad on warm weather camps.
Premier League Executive Chairman Richard Scudamore explained in a statement: "It’s all come together at a nice time and it’s now definite.
"We will have this split weekend and we are calling it a 'mid-season player break'.
"We're not calling it a winter break. Why is that? Because we’re not breaking. We’re playing five games one week and five the other.
"I think that’s positive I think it’s good for English football. I have to compliment Martin Glenn, he doesn’t see anything other than a successful Premier League as being good for English football."
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