Fitness fears
Will players be able to resume the Premier League season? Experts fear not
WHAT we have is effectively an enforced o ff-season,” a leading Premier League physio told The Independent yesterday before adding “to expect players to then resume matches without an extended period of training would be a disaster in terms of performance levels and injuries.”
It is nearly a fortnight since elite football was suspended in England due to the coronavirus pandemic and there will be a minimum of 53 days between the last game in the top-flight and the current provisional return date.
In an effort to reduce the upheaval, clubs have armed their squads with individual workout programmes, additional equipment and even have psychologists are on call to help footballers.
None measures, are enough.
“You need greater of these however, levels of conditioning because of training specificity,” the physio explained. “To be physically sharp for football, you have to play football.
“No matter how hard you try, you cannot replicate the conditions that you get in training or from matches at home.
“If you pretty much doing everything, now it’s about building up my fitness. So from my personal point of view, I’m in a good place.” think of the summer break, players get individual programmes then too while on holiday, but it is still accepted that they need a pre-season to be fit for games. You can’t now expect them to come in, only train for a week and then get straight into action.”
There are fears across the medical and conditioning departments of clubs that the time to generate match fitness will not be afforded to squads.
“I think everything is going to be fast-tracked and you’re going to see players being rushed into games much quicker when they do return to training and that exposes to them to performance-related and injury risks,” as one source put it.
“It’s going to be a balancing act for clubs. Normally you would allow yourself six weeks for pre-season.
“If in theory, you play a game on May 1 as is how things stand at the moment, it leaves only a month and six days. Clubs are not in training and several haven’t been for more than a week.
“You still need to factor in the friendly games that will be imperative. Without those matches, training can only get you so far as well.”
It has been a headache for clubs to try and devise a plan to get players at optimum sharpness.
What would be the minimum period of training for teams required before the league can resume?
The physio envisages “around three weeks to at least build a little bit o f conditioning, strength and resistance into the players so that when the first game comes along they’ve got a chance.”
T h e Independent himself at times, because he’s now at his favourite club at the age of 30.
“Hopefully he’ll prove to you what I think he will. He’s a proven goalscorer, so he’ll do all right. That’s exactly the same for everyone who signs if it’s permanent or it’s a loan.
“If you impress as a player, if you impress as a person, if you can help this group improve, then of course there’s a chance that we’ll look at extending things. – The Independent are very privileged people. We have a big house, with a garden. I think of the people who live in small apartment with two children and for me they are people who are showing a lot of strength.” Reina, who is currently on loan at Villa Park from parent club AC Milan, has urged football isn’t the main priority at the minute. “Football takes a back seat. I don’t care much, really. Everyone’s wellbeing goes above anything else,” the Spaniard added. still be taken for the instalment of the 20/21 season tickets due in April, but supporters can apply to have their instalments for May, June and July suspended. The total cost of the season ticket would still be charged but spread over eight monthly payments from August. “We appreciate the uncertainty of the current situation for many people, and we are pleased to offer supporters the opportunity of a three-month payment holiday to try and help alleviate some of the worries our season-ticket holders,” Brighton said in a statement. “The club asks that in order to support this threemonth break that supporters do all they can to meet their April payment. This holiday will impact the club's cash flow by around £3m (RM16m).”