“Gamers cannot deal any extra with this overload.”
These are the fairly foreboding phrases of Erik ten Hag because the Manchester United boss grapples with an ever-increasing damage record.
The Dutchman was talking on the day his defender Lisandro Martinez was dominated out till the finish of the yr, bringing the whole variety of Purple Devils’ damage absentees to eight.
However Ten Hag isn’t the one Premier League supervisor having to take care of a prolonged casualty record simply six weeks into the brand new season.
In line with PremierInjuries.com, England’s 20 top-flight sides presently have a mixed 112 gamers out injured.
Manchester Metropolis boss Pep Guardiola thinks gamers ought to come collectively to attempt to pressure a change to the schedule.
Newcastle supervisor Eddie Howe, Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino have additionally had their say on the difficulty, whereas Burnley’s Vincent Kompany feels he could have provide you with an answer.
Chelsea high the damage league
Chelsea presently high the damage desk, with the likes of Christopher Nkunku and Wesley Fofana out with severe knee accidents, Romeo Lavia sidelined with an ankle drawback, and full-backs Reece James and Ben Chilwell affected by hamstring and thigh issues respectively. Their trigger is additional hampered by suspensions to Malo Gusto and Nicolas Jackson.
Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and Newcastle all have 9 gamers unavailable, together with the likes of Harvey Barnes, Michael Olise and George Baldock.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is sweating on the health of as many as eight first-team gamers with Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice selecting up accidents within the north London derby, William Saliba and Fabio Vieira struggling setbacks, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard lacking the 2-2 draw with Spurs and Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey out with long-term accidents.
Champions Manchester Metropolis misplaced playmaker Kevin de Bruyne of their Premier League opener and 10 days in the past Pep Guardiola stated the membership have been “in bother” as a consequence of their damage record, which is now easing.
On the different finish of the desk West Ham are solely with out Aaron Cresswell by damage, whereas Wolves‘ sole absentee, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, is suspended.
| Chelsea | 10 |
| Sheffield United | 9 |
| Crystal Palace | 9 |
| Newcastle United | 9 |
| Manchester United | 8 |
| Arsenal | 8 |
| Tottenham | 8 |
| Brentford | 6 |
| Burnley | 6 |
| Bournemouth | 6 |
| Luton | 6 |
| Aston Villa | 5 |
| Brighton | 4 |
| Everton | 4 |
| Fulham | 4 |
| Liverpool | 4 |
| Manchester Metropolis | 3 |
| Nottingham Forest | 2 |
| West Ham | 1 |
| Wolves | 0 |
| Supply: Premierinjuries.com – not together with suspensions or disciplinary points |
‘The load on gamers is an excessive amount of’
Ten Hag says he intentionally expanded his squad over the summer time, bringing in seven gamers, to attempt to mitigate towards accidents, however nonetheless finds his staff stretched, with the latest non-injury absences of Jadon Sancho and Antony compounding issues.
“We had a World Cup in the course of the season, we had an extended season, we needed to play an extended season as effectively, with FA Cup, then Nations League video games. A shorter break,” stated the Dutchman.
“Each time the schedule is increasing, the load on the gamers is an excessive amount of, it is such an awesome overload. Many colleagues of mine have pointed to that and I’ve pointed to that as effectively. But it surely retains going. We preserve increasing the schedule.
“Gamers cannot deal any extra with this overload and I feel that is what you see on this squad in the meanwhile.”
Manchester United returned for pre-season coaching on 6 July earlier than, like many groups, jetting off to play friendlies in Norway, Scotland, the US and Dublin earlier than their Premier League opener towards Wolves on 14 August.
The 2022-23 Premier League season was longer than regular to accommodate a six-week break for the World Cup in Qatar in November and December, with the season beginning on 5 August and ending on 28 Could.
That meant the FA Cup last and European finals befell in early June, with Nations League fixtures not concluding till 18 June. Lower than a month later Premier League golf equipment have been again in pre-season to organize for the beginning of the 2023-24 marketing campaign.
For Manchester Metropolis, who reached the Champions League last and took part within the Neighborhood Defend, that meant there have been simply 58 days between the top of 1 season and the beginning of one other.
Schedule at ‘harmful’ degree
New steerage round stoppage time introduced in at the beginning of the season has additionally been criticised by some gamers for including to their workload.
Referees have been requested to extra precisely mirror stoppages in play when deciding how a lot stoppage time so as to add on on the finish of every half, which has usually resulted in matches lasting greater than 100 minutes.
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane was scathing of the brand new ruling, saying the schedule is already at a “harmful degree for gamers’ bodily and psychological wellbeing”, whereas De Bruyne stated the adjustments “didn’t make any sense”.
Is an look cap the reply?
Burnley boss Kompany has provide you with a possible answer to assist defend participant welfare, suggesting {that a} 60-65 look cap might forestall burnout.
Requested about Kompany’s suggestion at a information convention on Friday, Chelsea boss Pochettino was unsure it will work.
“I feel it is tough to analyse, to speak about the whole lot as a result of it’s worthwhile to assess each single state of affairs,” he stated.
“Possibly gamers can’t deal with 70 video games through the season, however one other participant can cope, one other participant can solely deal with a restricted proportion. It is tough to speak basically as a result of to place a restrict as a result of even the gamers wish to play each sport
“It is easy when the identify isn’t a high participant however after they say they wish to play, how do you say no?”
Guardiola thinks it’s as much as the gamers to return collectively and put strain on world governing physique Fifa and its European equal Uefa to ease the bodily burden.
“There is just one answer to alter one thing – the gamers determine for themselves [to say] ‘cease, now we have to alter one thing’. And after, Fifa and Uefa will perhaps react just a little bit,” stated Guardiola.
“This enterprise, the present should go on. With out Pep? Preserve going. However with out the gamers, the present won’t go on, that is for certain. So it is determined by them, they determine in the event that they settle for.
“I do not wish to affect, as a result of I am not going to affect anybody. I feel it needs to be the gamers. If the gamers wish to change one thing, they’re the one ones who can do it.”
Howe, whose Newcastle facet are in competing in Europe for the primary time since 2013, stated: “The load on these gamers that play each competitors and worldwide soccer goes up, and that is the place we have got to be good generally by making an attempt to present them a relaxation on the applicable time.
“However that is very tough then after they’re your greatest gamers and there is big expectation on you to get outcomes constantly. That is one thing I might have to consider.”
Gunners boss Arteta added: “A few of them occur in coaching and a few of them are knocks. Some very small niggles however as effectively, coming for earlier than the nationwide staff, after the nationwide staff, the load went by the roof and the calls for proceed to be excessive.”
