Cost of injury all adding up for top clubs

INJURIES cost Premier League clubs a whopping £270million last season, with Newcastle and Arsenal both suffering bills in excess of £20m.

That is according to a new injury formula, recognised by UEFA.

On average, Premier League clubs lost £13.5m to injuries in the 2014-15 campaign, with Everton and Manchester United suffering the third and fourth largest costs approaching £20m.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recently admitted his concerns over the level of injuries at the club hampering a title charge, an anxiety that has spilled over from last season.

Arsenal currently have several players out including Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey (both hamstring), Theo Walcott (calf), Mikel Arteta (ankle/foot), Jack Wilshere (leg), Tomas Rosicky and striker Danny Welbeck (both knee).

At the other end of the scale, champions Chelsea suffered the least injury-related costs last season, totalling just £5.8m.

The full price paid by clubs for an injury is detailed in a new UEFA-recognised formula that calculates the monthly costs of an injured player.

It has been found that Premier League and leading European clubs pay out an average of £413,000 a month for every player injured.

The calculation for how much an injured player costs his club was designed by Sergei Palkin, chief executive of Ukrainian high-fliers Shakhtar Donetsk.

Palkin, a former PricewaterhouseCoopers accountant, has come up with a calculation that considers wages earned by injured players, the costs of treating injuries, insurance premium costs and the financial implications from fielding weakened teams in domestic and European competitions.

The formula has subsequently been scrutinised and accepted by the UEFA Medical Committee.

Matilda Lundblad, a highly- respected club doctor for Swedish outfit Elfsborg, said: ‘The UEFA Medical Committee now uses this figure, as do other leading medical figures working in football.

‘The costs really highlight the importance of medical teams within clubs. The clubs with the fewest injuries in the Premier League usually end up among the top teams in the league at the end of the season.’