Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick has been urged not to drop Cristiano Ronaldo during the club's upcoming hectic run of fixtures by Dwight Yorke.
The evergreen Ronaldo was given the night off for United's Champions League draw with Young Boys, but has been played heavily across the course of the season.
Even though he continues to defy his doubters at the age of 36, there are signs that the superstar is beginning to slow, although Yorke says he must start every game.
'Some of the best players should not be rested,' he told The Athletic. 'You start your best players, whether you're in a schoolboy team or a Premier League team.
'Don't complicate it, start Cristiano Ronaldo. United would be in an even worse position without him.
'He's 36 but he's a freak; he's not like a normal 36-year-old player.'
Despite Ronaldo's prominence at Old Trafford during his second spell, United have been wary of overplaying him - and Rangnick's system will test his energy levels.
He has scored 12 goals across all competitions in this campaign so far, and has reacted angrily after being dropped.
So far, the forward has been benched against Chelsea and Everton, and was left out of the squad entirely for the Carabao Cup defeat by West Ham in September.
During the festive period, United will look to break back into the top four under Rangnick, and they remain unbeaten in two games under their interim manager.
The veteran tactician will stay in charge until the end of the season before stepping into an advisory role, and has been tasked with helping United return to form.
And in a boost for Rangnick and his players, United have been presented with a relatively favourable run of matches across the coming weeks.
They take on Norwich next this weekend, and then take on Brentford, Brighton, Newcastle and Burnley to round off their rollercoaster calendar year.