West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce is adamant that the hectic fixture schedule over the festive period causes career-limiting injuries.

Premier League sides will face a period of four games in eight days between Christmas and New Year, while they have also played three games over the past week.

Allardyce feels that the lack of a winter break, which exists in most other major European leagues, will take its toll on the players and could have dire consequences for their long-term futures in the game.

He told reporters: "My opinion has never changed and it never will. You keep flogging your players and keep asking them to maintain the levels they maintain, then you are asking for injuries.

"And injuries have a great cost to every investment you make in football. Every injury takes its toll on the player. But if they consistently start getting injuries then the player will pay a price down the line. It will shorten his career.

"Until everybody gets their head together and really sorts it out, we are always going to be faced with the fact that at this time of year we are asking them to deliver four games in eight days."

West Ham play Swansea City in the Premier League at Upton Park on Sunday.