Clubs feeling the pain
THE number of Premier League injuries shot up by more than a third during December, the Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Research by Premier Injuries reveals a 35 per cent increase on the number of players missing through injury last month compared with the average for the same period over the last five seasons.
There was an eight per cent rise in injuries over the first half of the season compared with the past five campaigns and a 28 per cent increase in the number of players out with illness, including Covid, over the same period.
The figures will lend weight to warnings’ from managers such as Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel that players’ welfare are being put at risk.
Fellow-managers David Moyes and Steven Gerrard joined them yesterday in calling for the reintroduction of the fivesubstitute limit.
Sean Dyche, meanwhile, added his name to those who have said they would support an extension to the season to ease the congested schedule.
‘We don’t know how far it’s going to go but as more games get called off, it’s fair to imagine,’ he said.