An Examination of Premier League Injury Impact This Season

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury sustained by Manchester City’s Rodri has emerged as a significant talking point this season, alongside Tottenham’s absent centre-backs, Pep Guardiola’s squad injury challenges, and the repercussions of Martin Odegaard’s unavailability for Arsenal. Player exhaustion, a packed fixture schedule, and various injuries have constituted key themes of the 2024-25 Premier League season thus far. However, is the extent of the injury problem truly as severe as perceived? And which club faces the most significant challenges? BBC Sport, utilizing data provided by the website Premier Injuries, external, has investigated which teams have been most affected by injuries this season. Ben Dinnery, from Premier Injuries Ltd, presented specific figures related to the injury data. As of 10 December 2024: Absences linked to hamstring issues (53 cases) represent nearly a quarter of all injuries (24%) and approximately 42% of all muscle-related injuries. Other frequently injured areas include the ankle/foot (34 cases), knee (26 cases), groin/pelvis (23 cases), and calf/heel (21 cases). Nevertheless, a comparison of the current injury situation with the corresponding period last season reveals that the overall figures have actually decreased. “Year-on-year there has been about a 20% reduction in the number of injury incidents and about a 30% reduction in the ‘burden’ on clubs – the amount of days missed by injured players,” Dinnery stated. His data commences from the season’s opening day, meaning players who were already injured prior to the campaign – such as those with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries like Brentford’s Rico Henry, Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings, and Brighton’s Solly March – are not included in the count. Dinnery noted that comparing seasons is complicated by the influence of major summer tournaments and the December 2022 Qatar World Cup, but he believes the data indicates a generally “static” trend for muscle injuries, particularly hamstrings, in recent years. “Perhaps the narrative [of an increase in injuries] is driven by some high-profile managers and the prominence of major injuries to higher-status players, such as Manchester City’s Rodri,” Dinnery says.”City usually perform well on their injury burden and Pep Guardiola manages the squad really well. “The injury narrative is not being pushed by Kieran McKenna at Ipswich or Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler.”They are not using their sidelined players as excuses, even though Ipswich have lost some huge players as they try and adapt to the intensity and rigours of Premier League football.”Brighton didn’t have a great record last year, but had European football to contend with. The headline numbers are one thing, but football is a contact sport. Perhaps it is testament to their recruitment of a squad with strength and depth that they are still doing well despite the number of injuries.” Sandi Toksvig is joined by Gyles Brandreth, Lulu, Emmanuel Sonubi and Alan Davies Grab the mic for Queen, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry and more… Ben Fogle and Kate Humble are back for the festivities at Longleat Safari Park From micro plastics in our air, soil, and waterways, to the extent of food waste at this time of year © 2024 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.