This article is part of Football FanCast's Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba's haircuts to League Two relegation battles...

It might seem sacrilegious to suggest, but it’s an option that needs to be explored.

Lukas Jutkiewicz so far has started every game for the Blues this season and has played 90 minutes in all but three of them (via Transfermarkt).

However, with Jutkiewicz currently aged 30, is it time that the Blues consider giving him a bit of time off so that he can be available for them throughout the season rather than risk him being out for a long stretch or simply being ineffective as a result of burnout?

We may be seeing those effects come into play already, as he has failed to find the back of the net since the Stoke City game at the end of August.

Journalist Brian Dick recently said in a Q&A that the forward role has to be the priority for the Blues in January, so it looks as if help may be coming, but with the window still being over two months away, Pep Clotet is going to have to make do with what he’s got.

Birmingham have been relatively short of goals, not just from Jutkiewicz, but from all departments as they struggle for a natural goal scorer.

Although they are having goals chipped in from other areas of the pitch, like Jude Bellingham, Alvaro Gimenez and Fran Villalba, they haven’t been coming in the sort of numbers you’d hope would be able to tie a club over for a long period of time.

The fact that the main forward only has three as we approach the end of October should be a rather worrying sign.

If the rest of the team were to start bringing their fair share to the table, then they wouldn’t have to be relying on him so much to get goals and he’d essentially ‘earn’ a game or two to rest.

However, because that help isn't particularly forthcoming, he might be at risk of burning out.

We have documented previously on FFC that they do have options in the academy to turn to if things do end up getting too desperate.

One word of warning though if they do decide to give him a game off, as Nottingham Forest recently proved when they rested Lewis Grabban for their game against Wigan Athletic, it didn’t end up going well for them, so they’ll have to pick the games carefully.