https://x.com/henrywinter/status/1846208541364781504
Manchester United suffered 75 injuries last season costing them £33.1m (€39.81m) in wages while the players were out, according to a report released today. The figures add substance to Erik ten Hag’s constant rhetoric about injuries inhibiting his team-building.
Newcastle United had most injuries (76, one more than Manchester United but at less financial cost, also signalling a wages gap). They suffered 14 injuries in December, perhaps indicating the increased workload of the Champions League. Overall, the 20 Premier League clubs had 915 injuries in 2023/24 which cost £265.6m (€318.8m) in player salaries while the players were unable to play.
Chelsea and Liverpool as well as Newcastle and Manchester United all experienced injury levels “consistently above” the Premier League average, according to the Men’s European Football Injury Index compiled by Howden, the insurance intermediaries which work with clubs and national associations. The report highlights that injury frequency in the Premier League was “particularly stark”. 109 players recorded a hamstring injury.
The report comes at a time when players, via their unions the PFA and FIFPRO, are increasingly voicing their concerns about workload and the risk of fatigue leading to injuries. “As fixture congestion intensifies with expanded competitions domestically and internationally, we are seeing more players sidelined for longer periods, with a notable 5% rise in injury costs this season alone,” says James Burrows, Head of Sport at Howden.
Wolves and Crystal Palace were the only Premier League sides that competed in each of the previous four seasons “to record below-average injury levels on each occasion”. Premier League injury costs accounted for 44% of the total across the five major European leagues studied, a 2% increase on last season.
Over the last four seasons, clubs within the top five men’s European leagues, the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1, have suffered a total of 14,292 injuries, resulting in what Howden describes as "a significant burden of €2.3 billion in injury costs". Interestingly, one of the leagues worst hit for injuries was the Bundesliga which enjoys a winter break. “Germany have the longest winter break and as the argument is more rest is needed, and more down time, Bundesliga is telling us the contrary,” added Burrows.
One particular area of concern was the rising injury severity amongst Premier League players under the age of 21. They were “sidelined for an average of 44 days per injury, a 187% increase compared to 2020/21”.
Such is the array of issues that could prevent players playing, clubs are looking for insurance “products” to cover for emotional distress, anxiety and depression suffered by players. Clubs are also looking to cover for accidents during car-sharing by players who, for instance, may live in the North-west and travel down to together to clubs in the Midlands.
Clubs and governing bodies have also been looking at the insurance situation over players who may suffer concussion leading, long-term, to dementia. #MUFC #NUFC
by nearly_headless_nic
13 Comments
Barring our left back situation, we are almost at a full team this season and we’re still playing like utter shit. Yes the injuries situation was outrageous last season and needs looking into but the idea that this is what is inhibiting us from play well is nonsense.
I understand the medical department needs to be held to a higher standard but do our coaching team not also take a modicum of blame for these injuries? Could it not be our training style or overworking of individual players that could also be leading to lots of muscle related injuries?
Shitty reading either way.
Scrap the League Cup for starters. I have never understood why clubs have to play 2 internal cups in England compared with only one on the majority of Europe.
I think something very wrong happened at United on the medical and fitness fields last season. A lot of these injuries were muscular problems, something that nowadays can be decreased by the correct use of well done monitoring and training programs.
I 100% agree that the injuries last season were more responsible for our shit form than eth. This season I can’t argue the same. The fact we’re getting as many injuries this season and it’s mostly concentrated on defenders says that there is something wrong in the club, whether it is training, fitness or systems. The fact that we started the season with all our midfielders and most of the defence and still had the same issues means that ten hag is also having tactical issues and can’t really wash his hands of the problem.
Then reduce the intensity of training sessions ffs.
The majority of injuries aren’t picked up in the game itself. When the games are as intense as they are then have very light training sessions instead but apparently Ten Hag has intense ones.
Back into the excuses cycle. See you after the next humiliating defeat boys
Man United are basically Hospital FC. The injury numbers are ridiculous!
A lot of these injuries happened in training. Maybe Ten hag is doing something wrong there.
Doesn’t help they fly the squad overseas after the season has ended to spin the money making machine.
Is this an ETH brief?
Henry Winter. There’s a man who has never had an original thought about football.
What’s the excuse this year?
You needed this report to drive home the impact of injury last season?
The issues are (less so) persistent. Shaw, Mount, Yoro, Rasmus, etc.
I still think ETH chose to plod on and not look to chance what he’s trying to do and that was naive.
I’ve only been happy with the team sheet for the last few games… and we’ve still been shit, which has been painful.