Queens Park Rangers boss Mark Warburton believes the festive period is a “nightmare” for football clubs and has urged football chiefs to find a solution.

The Rs were on course to securing a victory over Charlton before Naby Sarr scored at the death to rescue a 2-2 draw in the 96th minute.

But now both clubs face a gruelling run of games, playing three games in a week, before beginning their respective FA Cup campaigns on the first weekend of the new year.

Warburton said: “This time of the year is a nightmare for many clubs. I know it's deemed a British tradition, it's the Christmas programme and everyone loves it.

“Let me tell you: when you're playing [on the] 26th, 29th, first and fifth - or fourth [depending on the FA Cup fixture schedule] - it places unbelievable demands on the squads.

“It places demands on supporters in terms of the cost of following your team and, at the end of the day, there's a dilution in quality because players are just carrying injuries.”

The Rangers boss suggests that games could be played at earlier times “when the pitches are green in the warm, summer evenings” and urged: “We’ve got to find a way.”

It comes as Lee Bowyer’s injury woes worsened when Jonathan Leko was forced off after just 11 minutes through a knee injury.

The Addicks boss admits the prognosis “doesn’t look good” and the forward, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, was seen leaving the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium in a knee brace.

Charlton now face a quick turnaround of fixtures – Bristol City on Boxing Day, Derby County on December 30 and Swansea City on January 2 – before hosting West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup on January 5.

Warburton insists players struggle to properly recover when playing so many games in such a short period of time and believes Bowyer would provide a similar view, especially in the wake of a growing injury crisis.

He added: “We've got to think about the quality of the product, and when you are playing [on the] 26th, 29th, first, players aren't recovering from games so it's a really big run.

“If you have a squad of 25, 26 players and you can afford to carry that then you can afford to rotate, but Lee will tell you I'm sure [that it's tough]. Now he's had a couple of injuries and it's cost him dear, losing the likes of Josh Cullen and Lyle Taylor has cost them.

“You are going out to deliver 90 minutes of high-quality football on Boxing Day, you come back in and recover on the 27th, teams are then travelling on the 28th to play on the 29th to then recover on the 30th, to rest again and play on the first, and then it's the FA Cup weekend.

“I just think, I know, it places such demands on players, on medical teams, on squads, and it should be about the supporters. It's making sure that they get value for their money as well.”