Premier League injury crisis exposed as clubs bleed more than £1bn
How injuries quietly reshaped Premier League finances
According to the 2024 to 25 annual injuries index published by insurance group Howden, Premier League clubs have lost more than £1 billion to player injuries over the past five seasons, with data covering the period up to July 2025.
The report highlights how repeated absences, rehabilitation costs and lost availability have increasingly affected clubs already operating under intense competitive and commercial pressure.
Manchester United and Chelsea top an unwanted table
Howden’s analysis shows Manchester United recorded the highest injury total in the league, suffering 399 separate injuries across five seasons at an estimated financial cost of more than £150 million.
The report notes that United’s figures showed signs of improvement last season, with injury numbers lower than during the previous four campaigns.
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Chelsea ranked second overall, according to Howden, registering 357 injuries over the same five year period at a cost estimated at around £140 million. The data reflects the heavy physical demands placed on squads regularly competing across domestic and international competitions.
Club World Cup adds to Chelsea concerns
The Howden report also examined injury patterns surrounding the expanded Club World Cup. According to the data, Chelsea suffered 23 injuries between June and October, the highest total among clubs from Europe’s top five leagues that participated in the tournament.
That figure represented a 44 percent increase compared with the same period last year, raising concerns about cumulative workload rather than isolated events.
Manchester City, the other English club involved, recorded no injuries during the summer competition itself and 22 injuries between August and October.
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Overall, Howden concluded that the tournament’s immediate impact appeared limited, though analysts cautioned that longer term effects may only become clear later in the season.
A decade defined by relentless scheduling pressure
According to Howden’s findings, the current injury landscape cannot be separated from years of congested calendars following the Covid 19 disruption of the 2019 to 20 season.
Project Restart, Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Euro 2024 and the Club World Cup have created overlapping cycles of competition that have reduced recovery time for elite players.
Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic, cited in the report as an example of cumulative workload, has featured in all of those tournaments and has struggled for fitness this season with ankle and Achilles tendon issues.
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Experts warn of deeper structural risks
Robin Thorpe, an elite performance and injury risk expert who has worked with Manchester United and the Red Bull group, told Howden that the consequences of tournament congestion are not always immediately visible.
“The 2022 Qatar World Cup did not result in a clear rise in post tournament injury count, but it was followed by a spike in injury severity,” Thorpe said.
He added that players carrying the heaviest international workloads are often the most influential and highest paid members of squads, meaning their injuries carry outsized sporting and financial consequences.
Thorpe also warned of a growing issue among younger players, noting that under 21 players across top leagues are suffering some of the most severe injuries despite playing fewer minutes, a trend he described as a potential flaw in modern development pathways.
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Sources: Howden annual injuries index report, interviews with Robin Thorpe
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