Premier League players aged under 21 are spending longer sidelined through injury than ever before, with knee problems on the rise, a study has shown.
New data from global insurance group Howden’s ‘Men’s European Football Injury Index’ has revealed similar trends across Europe’s top men’s leagues.
The revelations come as club and international calendars face increasing scrutiny, with many players arguing congested schedules threaten their welfare.
James Burrows, head of sport at Howden, highlighted the “ever-increasing physical demands” on players as a reason for the spike in injuries.
“As fixture congestion intensifies with expanded competitions domestically and internationally, we are seeing more players sidelined for longer periods,” he said.
Players’ union Fifpro has made the same argument, external. Its 2024 Player Workload Monitoring Report claims 78% of coaches and 72% of players surveyed support the implementation of a guaranteed rest period in the calendar.
The same report detailed how England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham played 251 competitive games before reaching the age of 21 in June, while ex-England captain David Beckham played 54 in comparison.
The Professional Footballers’ Association said some players “feel that they are being pushed to, and beyond, their physical limits”.
“We can also see that players are absorbing this workload at a younger age than ever before, playing more and more minutes,” said a PFA spokesperson.
“We’ve always said that football’s approach to its calendar must be player-led, and based on a proper understanding of how players can physically cope with those demands. That’s especially true for young players, who we want to have long as well as successful careers.”