Busy schedule begins to take its toll on Sevilla

This season Sevilla have played 39 games and from January 1 up until now, the Andalusian outfit have averaged a game every three-and-a-half days, playing 12 times in 2018.

Injuries to key players, most notably Ever Banega and top scorer Luis Muriel, who recently had to withdraw from the team's 1-0 win at home to Girona, has left Italian coach Vincenzo Montella with a headache.

The lack of rotation within the starting XI this season has caught up with Sevilla, With the list of injured players alongside Banega and Muriel including the likes of Sergio Rico, Jesus Navas, Clement Lenglet, Gabriel Mercado, Sergio Escudero, Steven N'Zonzi, Franco Vazquez, Pablo Sarabia and Joaquin Correa.

Montella will have taken a sigh of relief after the win over Girona. The game signalled a week-long rest for the team, which will be more than warmly welcomed.

The week will give Montella the opportunity to decide on his next form of attack, with the absentees pathing the way for the fringe players of the side, who have had little or no action this season, the opportunity to impress and take their chance to steal a place in the starting XI.

The likes of Roque Mesa, who arrived from Swansea, Miguel Layun from Porto, Sandro Ramirez from Everton, and 20-year-old left-back Guilherme Arana, from Brazilian side Atletico Paranaense.

All of whom landed more than a month ago and who still have not made their debuts as of yet.

The win on the weekend leaves Sevilla in sixth, one point behind Villareal and six points from Real Madrid who sit in fourth.

There is still plenty of games to be played, Sevilla will certainly have their eyes on the Champions League places, although, much will rely on whether they can resolve their injury problems.