At what point do we stop "resting" players
We don't really have a 1st team as such these days. The squad can rotate, and is so drilled and balanced only a small drop in endeavour is felt...... even if we lose a 'big' player.
The way pep has the team playing, as a team, means we are always better than the sum of our parts. We don't have many moments of individual brilliance anymore, it is team ethos based. No Ricky 'fucking' villa mazy runs into the defense, just clever quick movement and passing to out think the opponent, not out brilliance them.
I used to stress if someone like Sergio, vinny or David were out, even KDB, but now we see the same results and pattern of play with and without them (although I do agree that losing Sergio would be the biggest miss from the squad, he is a goal scoring phenomenon, but we do manage).
If pep put Phil in for the away derby I would not worry at all. The team will play it's normal game, and that is the biggest accomplishment of our great coach.
Seamless, sensational, systematic and scary!!
Winning 6 is very doable, more doable than liverpool winning 5.