MATCH PILE-UP PUTS REDS IN DANGER ZONE

THREE Premier League matches in five days are set to test Manchester United’s mettle as kings of the red zone to the limit.

Data published by world players’ union FIFPRO shows Europe’s top stars are now playing up to 80 percent of their minutes when they are more susceptible to injury.

Four of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s firstchoice United side – Harry Maguire (top), Bruno Fernandes, Aaron Wan-bissaka and Marcus Rashford – are in the top 30 outfield players who have played the most minutes in the Premier League this season.

And United are about to be stretched by a fixture pile-up with the rearranged game against Liverpool shoehorned into the schedule next Thursday, on top of Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa and the home game with Leicester 48 hours later.

FIFPRO’S research, based on the workload of 265 players in 43 domestic leagues in a ninemonth period to January 31 this year, shows the risk of burnout has never been higher.

It found 73 percent of the minutes Maguire played between the start of May last year and the end of January this year were within the critical zone. And most of his 70 appearances over the period surveyed came without the recommended five-day rest between games.

The pandemic, which brought the Premier League to a halt for 100 days last year, took a severe toll.

United midfielder Fernandes had just 20 days off between last season’s Europa League semi-final on August 16 and representing Portugal in the Nations League on September 5.

It also found that 69 percent of his minutes were played in the critical zone, while England captain Harry Kane (above) averaged only 4.26 days’ rest between games for club and country.

FIFPRO general secretary Jonas Baer-hoffmann said: “This report is the latest stark warning that the health of players is being put at risk by the density of match schedules.

“During the Covid-19 emergency period this issue has extended and intensified. Action is needed now.” Premier League: – most minutes played 2020/21 (outfield players): 3,060 Hojbjerg (Spurs); 3,059 Soucek (West Ham); 3,051 Westwood (Burnley), Dallas (Leeds); 3,040 Ayling (Leeds); 2,998 Tielemans (Leicester); 2,970 Maguire (Man United), Ward-prowse (Southampton), Watkins (Aston Villa); 2,955 Targett (Villa); 2,944 Coady (Wolves), 2,936 Robertson (Liverpool).