Santa hats will not be out in force from Premier League fans on Boxing Day(Image: Julian Finney, Getty Images)

Premier League football fans stuffed to the brim with turkey and ready for more festive indulgence will need to find a new way to continue their Boxing Day celebrations this year.

Only one match will be played in the division on that day, with the remaining fixtures scheduled for the following weekend.

Boxing Day has traditionally been a highlight of the football calendar, with top-tier matches often taking up a significant portion of the day on 26 December.

However, this year will be different, as the Premier League must fulfil its contractual obligations with broadcasters. The league is obliged to schedule 33 rounds of weekend fixtures and five midweek.

As a result, Premier League officials have had to deviate from the usual packed Boxing Day schedule, as initially reported by The Times (via the Mirror).

With an increasing number of weekends already accounted for throughout the year, due to the FA Cup taking up more space after the elimination of replays, the Premier League has...