Newcastle, Brentford and Brighton lost most days from injuries this season; Magpies’ squad depth also tested most with highest number of individual injuries
By Adam Smith, Data and Analysis @AdamDatasmith
Are teams suffering more injuries than ever before and which teams are suffering most?
Liverpool and Chelsea were missing 19 squad players combined due to injuries going into the Carabao Cup final, while Newcastle and Manchester United have rued sprawling injury lists amid dips in form.
So, what do the numbers say?
Newcastle and Brentford hit hardest
The Magpies have lost a whopping 1,333 days due to injuries since the season kicked off on August 11, according to Premier Injuries data.
Brentford are second on the crocked list with 1,159 days lost, followed by Brighton (1,093), Chelsea (1,091), Sheffield United (1,081), Manchester United (979) and Tottenham (949).
At the other end of the scale, Wolves have lost only 316 days so far – which is less than a quarter of Newcastle’s crippling tally.
West Ham (331), Everton (555), Manchester City (565) and Bournemouth (567) have also experienced comparatively quiet treatment tables.
All data is correct as of February 28, 2024
What about the sheer number of injuries?
Newcastle’s injury crisis is compounded by scale – in addition to duration – having also suffered a league-topping 29 separate injuries.
Harvey Barnes, Sven Botman, Nick Pope, Jacob Murphy, Elliot Anderson, Matt Targett, Joe Willock, Callum Wilson and Joelinton have been out of action for long periods.
Manchester United and Brighton have suffered in almost equal measure as Newcastle with 28 injuries each, while Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Chelsea have all suffered 27 lay-offs this term.
As was the case with days lost, Wolves and West Ham have suffered least with merely 13 injuries during the campaign, while Bournemouth (16) have also been among the most injury-free clubs to date.
What’s the injury and suspension status now?
Factoring injuries and suspensions, right now, Liverpool have a league-high 12 players sidelined, followed by Brighton and Sheffield United (nine each).
Meanwhile, once again, Wolves and West Ham (one each) have the fewest players on the treatment table, while Manchester City also remain relatively injury-free.
What’s causing the injuries?
Is there a correlation between workloads and the rising trend for intense playing styles?
Well, Liverpool and Manchester City have played a table-topping 41 games across all competitions this season, ahead of Aston Villa, Newcastle, Arsenal, Manchester United and West Ham.
However, of those clubs, only Manchester United have been notably affected by injuries across the campaign, suggesting workload does not necessarily correlate directly with the number of injuries suffered.
However, Liverpool would argue their hectic fixture schedule recently has contributed to their current injury crisis – having played a league-topping 13 games across all fronts in this calendar year.
In terms of intensity, sprints have been on the rise since tracking data became available, rising incrementally season on season from 127 to 138 per team, per game – with that overall rise equating to a nine-per-cent increase.
So, are clubs suffering more injuries than usual this term? Ever so slightly, according to the forecasts below. Current trajectories project teams will collectively lose 21,505 days through injuries, which is slightly higher than last term – but notably higher than in 2020/21 and 2021/22.
How have clubs reacted to the injuries?
Have clubs been forced to dive into their squads and rotate to manage injuries? Conversely, have deeper squads prevented injury crises?
The table below shows the total number of players used by each team in the Premier League and appears to correlate fairly consistently with the clubs most affected by injuries.
Newcastle, Sheffield United, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool have been heavily affected by injuries and are also among the clubs that have used the most players this season – with the Magpies handing game-time to 32 players.
Conversely, Wolves, West Ham, and Manchester City have been among the least-affected clubs by injuries, which has contributed to those teams using 25 or fewer players.