EPL news: Packed calendar under fire as clubs count £185m cost of injured stars

Instances of injury and illness rose 30 per cent to 1,231 (181 of which were Covid-related) in 2021-22 compared to 938 the previous season, according to the Football Injury Index report produced by the Howden insurance group. This compares to 562 in 2019-20 and 495 in 2018-19.

Chelsea had the highest number of injuries (97) while Wolverhampton Wanderers had the fewest with 34. However in terms of the total days that players were missing, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City all had similar figures last season of about 1,100 days.

Although the pandemic had an effect, with players being absent having contracted the virus or observing isolation rules, fixture congestion and changes to style of play - in particular the greater emphasis on a pressing game - may also have been factors.

“This research confirms what leading club managers have been saying for a while now - injuries are on the rise across European football,” James Burrows, head of sport at Howden, said. “With football’s authorities currently negotiating the game’s calendar, the Injury Index provides a deep insight into the human and financial cost of congested fixture lists and a packed calendar. It will help answer the question of whether there’s just too much football being played.” The report says that the physical impact on players of fixture congestion is clearly reflected in the data and questions whether a high-pressing game is a cause.

It states: “Despite the undeniable advancements in sports science and physiotherapy, one possible explanation is the change in styles of play with a significant number of clubs adopting a high-pressing and high-tempo style. Perhaps this is leaving its mark on the absence numbers.

“Compare this to the figures in [France’s] Ligue 1 [691 in 2021-22] where the tempo is slower, and this explanation looks to ring true.”

The Premier League is understood to believe that it is unfair to compare seasons affected by Covid and those from before the pandemic, when fewer players would have missed matches due to illness or having to isolate.

Injury and illness numbers were similar in Germany’s Bundesliga last season (1,205), but lower in Spain’s La Liga (848), Italy’s Serie A (835), and Ligue 1 (691). Although those four leagues all experienced rises over previous seasons, they were not so steep as the Premier League’s.

Hamstring and general muscle injuries were the most common in England’s top flight - there were 104 of each - followed by knee (67), ankle (66), calf (58) and groin (42). There were 21 head or concussion injuries in the Premier League last season.

The report also calculates the cost of injury by multiplying a player’s daily base salary by the number of days they were unavailable.

The Premier League had the highest injury cost count of any of Europe’s top five divisions at pounds 184.57 million, with La Liga second on pounds 109.34 million. Manchester United had the highest injury cost of pounds 26.72 million, an average cost per absence of pounds 330,000.

The research also points to the value of having strength in depth in a squad. Bayern Munich (97), Real Madrid (114) and Paris Saint-Germain (91) all recorded the most injuries during the season in their leagues but were still able to win their respective titles.

“This points to the significant squad depths at these clubs which enabled them to overcome league-leading injury rates,” says the report.

The international players’ union, Fifpro, has warned that the players are suffering from excessive workloads and that the international match calendar must change.

Fifpro announced a new agreement with the World Leagues Forum - a group which represents domestic leagues in discussions with global governing bodies - this week and wants to be involved in negotiations over the new calendar, which will take effect from 2024.

The organisation believes that players should have a four or five-week off-season rest period away from the club and national team environment, a similar break of about two weeks mid-season and a cap on games played within a five-day period to avoid the heightened risk of injury or player burnout.

Maheta Molango, the PFA chief executive, has previously expressed concerns over player welfare.

He told The Times earlier this year: “Ultimately football is not like another job - you have to be able physically to deliver a certain level to the game and you can’t do that if you are playing too many games.”

-The Times

Originally published as EPL news: Packed calendar under fire as clubs count £185m cost of injured stars