Injuries are often not the only factor that determines the performance of a team, but it greatly affects the squad that coaches can use. This season, Premier League clubs have faced countless cases of injuries. This greatly affects the performance of teams, especially candidates in the championship race.
According to data from Premier Injuries, teams participating in many tournaments are more susceptible to injuries due to the tight schedule and high intensity of competition. Man City, Man United and Chelsea are the teams that have played the most matches since the beginning of the season (18 matches) but the level of injury is different.
Chelsea have only 6 injured players, each missing an average of 4 matches in the Premier League. In contrast, Man City have faced 11 injuries, the most serious of which was Rodri (a torn anterior cruciate ligament) which caused the Spanish star to miss the rest of the season.
Key players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Nathan Ake and John Stones have also missed many matches. Pep Guardiola's preference for compact squads with high-quality players is becoming a big problem, forcing him to make 26 changes to the squad in 11 matches, the second highest in the tournament.
Man United are no better with 12 injuries, including long-term cases such as Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Leny Yoro. The absence of 2 key left-backs forced them to adjust their squad but the results were not very positive. This also contributed to Erik ten Hag's dismissal, although it was not necessarily the only reason.
Brighton is the team most affected with 19 injuries. Solly March has not played a match this season, while Matt O'Riley and Joao Pedro have missed 8 and 6 matches respectively. However, thanks to the depth of the squad after a strong summer transfer window, the "Seagulls" still maintain their position in the leading group.
In contrast, some teams such as Fulham, Liverpool and West Ham have the fewest injuries. Fulham recorded only 4 cases and took advantage of a stable squad to reach 7th place in the rankings. Liverpool also did not have too many difficulties with only 7 injuries, mainly from substitutes.
The number of injuries not only reflects the difficulty of the teams, it also shows the ability to adapt and take advantage of the force. Brighton, despite facing the most difficulties, had to face all teams in the "Big Six" group from the beginning of the season but still achieved impressive results. Meanwhile, Wolves, a team with a difficult schedule for the second time, is having a big problem in defense due to the loss of mainstay center back Yerson Mosquera due to a knee injury.
In total, Premier League clubs have suffered 209 injuries, resulting in more than 750 missed matches since the start of the season. Of which, hamstring problems account for more than 20% of all injuries (48 cases), followed by knee injuries (27).
High-pressing teams like Tottenham and Brighton are more likely to suffer hamstring injuries due to high intensity. Anxiety injuries and muscle problems also contribute significantly to the list.
Injuries have created major challenges for teams. However, this also shows the calculations and careful preparation of the club's leadership to deal with unexpected problems during the season.
