At the top, the Premier League is an intensified, unrelenting beast, eager to suck out as much joy as it gives to the beautiful game. Cries for a winter break continue to fall on deaf ears, as the Christmas fixture pile-up takes its inevitable toll on first-team regulars.

However, there are those who can enjoy the festivities in the same manner as the fans in attendance. This is not because their manager has gifted them special compensation, but rather they are unlikely to be called upon during this hour of need.

Some players have been confined to the reserves rather unjustly while others simply do not have talent to ever risk penetrating the starting line-up. Either way, the Premier League always carries a fair few passengers with each new campaign.

Click on Louis Saha to reveal the players sitting on the coattails of their colleagues this season