Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Mason Mount—these three Premier League players have one thing in common. They have all suffered hamstring injuries this season. This injury is becoming increasingly restrictive as it leads to longer absences. According to the Premier Injuries website, of the 100 hamstring injuries this season in the Premier League, 9 resulted in an absence of up to 13 days, 40 between 14 and 30 days, and 51 for more than 30 days. A study from Linköping University in Sweden, covering the 2001-02 to 2021-22 seasons, examined 54 teams in 20 European countries and found that the rate of hamstring injuries had doubled, from 12% to 24%. The causes are numerous, such as long VAR sequences that chill the muscles, teams that play with a high defensive line and intense pressing. Writing in The Guardian, Fearghal Kerin, a former Chelsea physiotherapist, discusses the increased intensity of training to meet the demands of elite performance, which puts the hamstrings at risk.
Brief
Mason Mount (Manchester United) was sidelined for 19 matches with a hamstring injury. / © Icon Sport