[Albion] Record number of Premier League injuries this season

[Guinness Boy]

This season the number of injuries is currently the highest at this stage. Some interesting data in this report. Data highlights:

• We currently have 10 injuries, the same as Villa and bang on average number.

• We have the most recovery time scheduled of any team over Christmas.

• Hamstrings are the most prevalent injury.

Newcastle & Manchester United: Why are Premier League injuries at a new high?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67417862

 

[Uh_huh_him]

This season the number of injuries is currently the highest at this stage. Some interesting data in this report. Data highlights:

• We currently have 10 injuries, the same as Villa and bang on average number.

• We have the most recovery time scheduled of any team over Christmas.

• Hamstrings are the most prevalent injury.

Newcastle & Manchester United: Why are Premier League injuries at a new high?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67417862

Whilst we have the most recovery time over Christmas, we will be playing 2 additional games on Nov 30th & December 14th.
Should soften us up nicely for Palace on 21st.

 

[Zeberdi]

Saw that report posted on the news thread yesterday

Why are Premier League injuries at a new high? [BBC]

The Premier League currently has 196 injuries recorded in just over three months, with Newcastle and Manchester United suffering more than most - so why this many? More...

www.northstandchat.com

I had raised much the same points vis a vis possible explanations for increasing level and seriousness of injuries on the Ferguson thread as have we all recently elsewhere (including possibly the long pauses during play due to VAR and the increasing time-wasting behaviour (despite more rule enforcement this season) which may mean players are cooling down too much?) but what is significant for me about the report was that our 10 injuries is currently average in the PL and that we have the most recovery time during the Christmas period - hopefully that puts our misfortunes into greater perspective and it’s not Brighton or RDZ per se that is the problem as the Brighton naysayers would have us think, but changes to the game in general at top level competition. Having said that, our most serious injuries have been sustained by players prone to injury, March with his knee (is it the same knee that had him out in 2021, I can’t remember?) and Welbeck with hamstrings.

 

[5Ways Gull]

Mid Season world cup - knock on effect?

 

[AlbionBro]

I think the game has got faster, so perhaps more explosive football drills have been employed, hence hamstrings? How many injuries are training day against match day injuries?

 

[Hamilton]

Young lads are made of paper nowadays. Man up! You wanna be a professional footballer? Then get the f*ck out on the pitch and do what we pay you to do. Wimps!




(This post may or may not reflect what I think)

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I know there is an increasing amount of football, but i'm surprised that the sports science, use of data and the existence of large squads in the PL hasn't reduced the number of injuries

 

[Machiavelli]

Saw that report posted on the news thread yesterday

Why are Premier League injuries at a new high? [BBC]

The Premier League currently has 196 injuries recorded in just over three months, with Newcastle and Manchester United suffering more than most - so why this many? More...

www.northstandchat.com

I had raised much the same points vis a vis possible explanations for increasing level and seriousness of injuries on the Ferguson thread as have we all recently elsewhere (including possibly the long pauses during play due to VAR and the increasing time-wasting behaviour (despite more rule enforcement this season) which may mean players are cooling down too much?) but what is significant for me about the report was that our 10 injuries is currently average in the PL and that we have the most recovery time during the Christmas period - hopefully that puts our misfortunes into greater perspective and it’s not Brighton or RDZ per se that is the problem as the Brighton naysayers would have us think, but changes to the game in general at top level competition. Having said that, our most serious injuries have been sustained by players prone to injury, March with his knee (is it the same knee that had him out in 2021, I can’t remember?) and Welbeck with hamstrings.

A few things on this:
-- the VAR breaks are causing long pauses but, then again, they've been doing so for a few seasons, so there's not much difference there ...
-- ... the clampdown on time-wasting is new this season and might be an explanation, but I suspect I'm not alone in thinking that refs have been less vigorous in its enforcement over the past month or two (when the injuries have been piling up)
-- RDZ has been coy in divulging details about the injuries to Welbeck and March. There's been sufficient noises from elsewhere that it looks like another ACL injury for Solly, but yet to see it officially confirmed. Not convinced that there has been even speculation on what Welbeck's injury, let alone anything official. On what basis are you making these identifications (eg purely past injuries?)

 

[WATFORD zero]

I know there is an increasing amount of football, but i'm surprised that the sports science, use of data and the existence of large squads in the PL hasn't reduced the number of injuries

I think it's possible that sports science may be partly responsible as it allows us to get players 'fitter' (faster, leaner, stronger) and that may not be the best condition for avoiding injuries. A bit of weight and a slower game seemed to get far less injuries a few years ago.

I don't remember Alan Duffy ever getting injured

 

[nwgull]

I think it's possible that sports science may be partly responsible as it allows us to get players 'fitter' (faster, leaner, stronger) and that may not be the best condition for avoiding injuries. A bit of weight and a slower game seemed to get far less injuries a few years ago.

I don't remember Alan Duffy ever getting injured

I think this is correct. Elite players are now so well conditioned means that soft-tissue injuries are more common because players have such powerful muscles.

Doesn't surprise me that we've got the average number of injuries. Where we seem to have been a bit unfortunate is that 4 of those injuries have been to players that play left back!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I think the game has got faster, so perhaps more explosive football drills have been employed, hence hamstrings? How many injuries are training day against match day injuries?

Not sure Milner's injury was much to do with his pace...

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

A few things on this:
-- the VAR breaks are causing long pauses but, then again, they've been doing so for a few seasons, so there's not much difference there ...
-- ... the clampdown on time-wasting is new this season and might be an explanation, but I suspect I'm not alone in thinking that refs have been less vigorous in its enforcement over the past month or two (when the injuries have been piling up)
-- RDZ has been coy in divulging details about the injuries to Welbeck and March. There's been sufficient noises from elsewhere that it looks like another ACL injury for Solly, but yet to see it officially confirmed. Not convinced that there has been even speculation on what Welbeck's injury, let alone anything official. On what basis are you making these identifications (eg purely past injuries?)

I'm not slow to put the blame on VAR for stuff, but surely breaks in the game reduces the intensity. So although the games may be longer the effect of very concentrated extreme exertion is reduced.

In practice, it gives the players a chance to take on fluids, do a stretch or two and gives a little thinking and communication time for if they do have a twinge they are struggling with.

It surely should be reducing not increasing the injuries

 

[Zeberdi]

-- RDZ has been coy in divulging details about the injuries to Welbeck and March. There's been sufficient noises from elsewhere that it looks like another ACL injury for Solly, but yet to see it officially confirmed. Not convinced that there has been even speculation on what Welbeck's injury, let alone anything official. On what basis are you making these identifications (eg purely past injuries?)

Widely reported at the time and seeing Welbeck pull up clutching his hamstring and March twisting his knee awkwardly during the match

March and Welbeck out for 'a long time'

Brighton & Hove Albion’s Solly March and Danny Welbeck are set for significant spells on the sidelines after sustaining injuries against Manchester City. March appeared to awkwardly bend his knee deep into stoppage time in Brighton’s 2-1 defeat by City on Saturday. The 29-year-old was taken off...

theathletic.com

 

[LamieRobertson]

I'm not slow to put the blame on VAR for stuff, but surely breaks in the game reduces the intensity. So although the games may be longer the effect of very concentrated extreme exertion is reduced.

In practice, it gives the players a chance to take on fluids, do a stretch or two and gives a little thinking and communication time for if they do have a twinge they are struggling with.

It surely should be reducing not increasing the injuries

I could be wrong but for the breaks we are talking about here I don’t generally see players doing stretches
..muscles tightening …longer match goes on ..more risk of this

 

[Zeberdi]

It surely should be reducing not increasing the injuries

As I said, the argument is that a sustained break in the middle of the match let’s and players cool down, muscles can tense up and when play resumes, it could exacerbate risk of injury. I read some stuff on this and see if I can find it later.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Widely reported at the time and seeing Welbeck pull up clutching his hamstring and March twisting his knee awkwardly during the match

March and Welbeck out for 'a long time'

Brighton & Hove Albion’s Solly March and Danny Welbeck are set for significant spells on the sidelines after sustaining injuries against Manchester City. March appeared to awkwardly bend his knee deep into stoppage time in Brighton’s 2-1 defeat by City on Saturday. The 29-year-old was taken off...

theathletic.com

Other knee injuries are available? Still no confirmation by the club over which one

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I think this is correct. Elite players are now so well conditioned means that soft-tissue injuries are more common because players have such powerful muscles.

I agree with this too.

Same issue in rugby and cricket. In cricket, the standard of play is so much higher than in the old days when they played more matches but there were fewer injuries. Levels of dynamism in fielding and running between wickets are off the scale different. Batsmen (and women) are far more powerful and average speeds of bowling are much higher.

 

[dazzer6666]

I think it's possible that sports science may be partly responsible as it allows us to get players 'fitter' (faster, leaner, stronger) and that may not be the best condition for avoiding injuries. A bit of weight and a slower game seemed to get far less injuries a few years ago.

I don't remember Alan Duffy ever getting injured

Definitely part of it I think - they're also red-lining/operating at the extreme limits of their physical capability for much longer so much closer to the injury threshold for longer

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

As I said, the argument is that a sustained break in the middle of the match let’s and players cool down, muscles can tense up and when play resumes, it could exacerbate risk of injury. I read some stuff on this and see if I can find it later.

You could well be right, but i'm still confused.

£100's of million are at stake at top level football. We're talking about players, bought for £10's of millions and paid £100's of K a week. They have access to knowledge from the best sports scientists in the world.

Surely part of the remit of the club medical / science staff is how best to keep players muscles not tense during breaks of play. We know breaks in play are likely.

If there's any suspicion that more breaks in play are leading to injuries why do we not see detailed routines taking place? It normally takes a stoppage of 5 to 10 mins before players stop just chatting to each other and start knocking a ball around.

The only possible conclusions I can draw is that the medical staff are being collectively negligent, the players just can't be bothered to do it, or the sports science suggests that it isn't the breaks in play which are responsible for an increase in injuries

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Definitely part of it I think - they're also red-lining/operating at the extreme limits of their physical capability for much longer so much closer to the injury threshold for longer

I too think this analysis is plausible.

But it does make me think, are we over training the players then? Is there a point going for a marginal gain in athleticism if it increases the risk of a year long injury by a significant percentage?

Again, I think sports science has questions to answer