Bukayo Saka reached a significant milestone any player should be proud of on Saturday - 250 appearances for one club.

It’s a landmark that comes quicker these days with the busier football calendar, yet not many can boast about such a feat - though he probably shouldn’t have earned it by the age of just 23.

The phrase ‘match load’ has been introduced into the football lexicon within the past decade and has become more and more relevant as time progresses and competitions expand.

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Managing an elite player’s minutes has now stretched beyond important - it is a necessity. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been attentive to this when it comes to Cole Palmer, having left him out of his Europa Conference League squad.

The Blues star is 15 months younger than Saka and made his first-team debut for Manchester City 22 months after his counterpart did for Arsenal - but the distribution of senior appearances is greatly imbalanced.

From the campaign, Palmer made his bow in senior football at age 18; he has averaged 21 matches every season. For Saka - who debuted aged 17 - this swells to 35.

The Arsenal winger reached 100 senior games at the age of 20 years and 11 months. Palmer ticked off that landmark in November’s 2-1 away win at Leicester City, aged 22 years and six months, yet it is he who is being rested more.

The obvious elephant in the room is that Palmer would not be rested if Chelsea had Champions League football or even Europa League games.

Plus, Palmer had a tough job breaking into Man City’s esteemed senior squad, while Arsenal were at a more primitive stage in their cycle when Saka was introduced. So context is key.

Saka has an enviable injury record in truth. In fact, he has missed just four Premier League games through knocks since the beginning of the 2021/22 season.

Saka's injuries have tended to be more recent, having suffered a muscle setback in October that caused him to miss a top-flight game, with all three other missed league matches coming last season. He did not miss a single league fixture through injury during the prior two campaigns.

So what’s the point here? After all, Maresca has more chance to rest Palmer for European matches this season. Well, perhaps let's look at the League Cup as a barometer.

Palmer did not play in either of Chelsea’s ties before their exit, but Saka has played a role in all three of Arsenal’s, either as a starter or a substitute. And his inclusion is set to increase with the Gunners now into the semi-finals, should he be injury-free.

Arguments about a lack of back-up options for Saka dissipate amidst Raheem Sterling’s loan move as well as the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri and his ability to play on the right.

There is no denying Maresca has the evident luxury of being able to rest Palmer for cup games amid a giant squad. Merely, Saka's injuries this term highlight that his decision to omit Palmer from his European squad is a wise one.

Saka has played 250 matches in his career, and there seems to be no sign he will be given breaks, especially during the second half of a season. The player himself will want to play every game, as he should, so the onus is on Mikel Arteta.

What precisely instigated Saka’s latest injury on Saturday against Crystal Palace is unclear. Clearly, he pulled up after delivering a cross just 20 minutes in but the delivery did not look anything too out of the ordinary.

Would his muscle have pinged if he had not played so many matches already? Again, this will remain unclear, but it won’t have helped - the winger has played in every single game he’s been available for this season (24).

Now he is facing “many weeks” on the sidelines, according to Arteta. In contrast, Palmer, who has played five games fewer - looks primed and ready for another prolific season.

The usage of both players is obviously a result of the context each club finds itself in - but that is not the sole factor. Managers must play their part too, and Maresca is playing his well.