Five reasons why the international break has come at the wrong time for Manchester United

Fatigue

Players like Henrikh Mkhitaryan have to travel half the world to link up with their respective national teams

Fatigue plays a major component in any player's ability to last the duration of a punishing season, especially if you're realistically competing on all possible fronts.

And international breaks such as these, where players have to play home and away in double quick time, entail a lot of travel, flitting in and out of time zones and an overall lack of rest and recuperation for the body.

For a Manchester United player that is expected to perform - and win - at every turn, that may be asking too much of him.

It's not that his body won't hold up initially, but it's the accumulation of international duty coupled with the pressure of delivering week-in, week-out for his club that may take a toll over the course of a winding season.