According to a report by the international insurance company Howden, the Premier League suffered more injuries than any other major European league.
The Injury Index, as Howden calls it, also discussed the financial impact of these injuries for the Premier League club. In total for the European leagues, injury costs reached a combined $562 million for the 2021/22 season. They also stated that there were 4,810 total injuries in these major leagues. This was supposedly a 20% increase from the previous campaign.
The top five European men’s leagues are the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1. Out of these divisions, it appears that the Premier League was the hardest hit by the injury virus last season.
Of the nearly 5,000 total injuries in these leagues, the Premier League alone experienced 1,231 injuries. This is nearly 26% of all injuries among these top five divisions. Chelsea suffered the most injuries in England’s top flight with 97. Compare this to the 691 total injuries among French Ligue 1 clubs during the same period.
The effect of Premier League injuries
“This research confirms what top club managers have been saying for some time: injuries are on the rise in European football,” said James Burrows, Howden’s sporting director.
“The reasons for this will be the subject of much debate, but Howden’s extensive research shows that there is a 20% season-over-season increase in injured players,” Burrows continued. “With football authorities currently negotiating match schedules, the Injury Index provides deep insight into the human and financial cost of congested match lists and a packed schedule. It will help answer the question of whether there is simply too much football being played.”
Arsenal confirm that after consulting with specialists, Emile Smith-Rowe underwent surgery in recent days “to repair the damaged tendon in his groin”. ⚪️???? #AFC
“Emile’s rehabilitation program is already underway, with the hope that he will return to full training in December.” pic.twitter.com/9iTPuntpvU
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 29, 2022
The report also provided statistics on how these injuries affect clubs financially. The Premier League’s record number of injuries apparently cost teams more than $200 million. Spain’s top flight, La Liga, was a distant second with around $119 million in injury costs.
Injuries to young players are also increasing at an alarming rate. Howden claims there were a total of 326 injuries to U-21 players last season. This compares to just three previous seasons when there were just 30 injuries to these youngsters. It certainly seems as if the reliance on young players is partly to blame.
Another interesting discovery was the fact that Bayern Munich, PSG (a record $37 million in injury costs) and Real Madrid had the most injuries in their respective leagues. However, all three clubs ended up winning titles. Team depth is obviously important to being a successful team.
PHOTO: IMAGO/PA Images
