Could Leeds United be winners from the Premier League's World Cup break and who might be the losers?

With 133 players there, the Premier League is going to be impacted more than any competition. La Liga, the next highest, had 50 fewer.

Disappointing though it was for Diego Llorente, Robin Koch and Mateusz Klich to miss out, it might not be the worst thing for Leeds United.

Liverpool, Newcastle United and perhaps Manchester City could benefit from the pause. Others will not.

Going to a World Cup or not is not a black or white, good or bad thing.

Elite players worked hard in European and Premier League matches should benefit from recharging their batteries. Winter breaks are something most top leagues have done for decades, whilst smirking at the English for not.

The thought of a refreshed Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah is pretty daunting when you consider how good they were before. Manchester City's 23-goal top-scorer Haaland was even allowed to skip Norway's November friendlies.

Excluding stoppage time, West Ham United’s Declan Rice has played 2,130 minutes – 585 more than Haaland – for club and country this season after a summer of needless Nations League games. It is safe to assume he will be pretty tired for England’s run to the quarter-finals, not to mention all the training.

The ideal for clubs was to have players in Qatar, ticking over whilst learning from and enjoying the experience, but coming home early.

All three Leeds players were knocked out in the group stage. Tyler Adams massively enhanced his reputation but compatriot Brenden Aaronson was a substitute for all the USA's games. Rasmus Kristensen started the three matches of Denmark's disappointing campaign, but was substituted at half-time in the decisive final game after a display panned by the media.

Any concern for him is the harder to measure aspect of Qatar – its mental effect.

Sheffield United's Iliman Ndiaye came back from representing Senegal – two starts, two substitute appearances and an assist – bubbling with confidence and was excellent when the Blades restarted their Championship campaign at home to Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

England captain Harry Kane might not be in such a good place. A lot of Brazilian, English, Dutch, German, Portuguese, Belgian, Welsh and Danish players will have disappointments to deal with.Will Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne benefit more from extra rest after being knocked out at the group stage or suffer from Belgium's "Golden Generation" blowing its last real chance? Will the hurt fuel him like David Beckham in 1998?

Some people, particularly sportsmen, can feed off that but most like to be loved. Embroiled in plenty of in-house finger-pointing, it is unlikely de Bruyne is feeling that way now.

Broadly speaking, though, those with fewer players involved should benefit the most.

Only Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Southampton had fewer World Cup players than Leeds. It bodes well for the Whites, who resume against Manchester City – who had 16 in Qatar – on December 28.

That Newcastle are mixing it with the English elite this season was not reflected in their Qatar representation – only Brazilian fringe player Bruno Guimares, Switzerland's Fabian Schar and the lightly-used English trio of Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson and Nick Pope. As teams around them get bogged down in European campaigns, freshness ought to be an advantage.

Liverpool had "only" seven players when the rest of the "Big Six" were in double figures. Only France’s Ibrahima Konate made it to the final week, although no Premier League club had more than two semi-finalists. Salah and co should be sharper than those they are trying to catch.

City have more absentees than anyone but Haaland is backed up by Argentinian Julian Alvarez, who could be a World Cup winner on Sunday and has certainly enhanced his reputation. Whether a fired-up or worn down de Bruyne feeds them could be important.

Then there are injuries.

Even with the drying-up of goals that was becoming a talking point before the break, Gabriel Jesus coming home with a surgeon's appointment was the last thing Mikel Arteta wanted as he looks for Arsenal to pick up their momentum again. He is not putting a timescale on how long Jesus will be out, but the rumour mill is: three months.

Likewise, if Kane is worn down, Tottenham Hotspur could do with Richarlison, who had a much better World Cup, to fill in but a hamstring injury is expected to sideline the Brazilian for at least a month.

Not that staying at home makes you immune. Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier contracted glandular fever, Patrick Bamford had minor surgery and like Junior Firpo, will be up against it to face City.

The knock-on effects an unpredictable World Cup could mean a hard-to-guess Premier League.