Medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries website, has warned Premier League clubs that accumulated fatigue owing to the nature of the schedule this season could lead to a lot more injuries than usual in the latter part of the season.
Tottenham have already had some key players out with injuries this season, including the likes of Lucas Moura, Cristian Romero, Oliver Skipp and Dejan Kulusevski.
Kulusevski remains out of action for the moment, with Antonio Conte remarking in his press conference on Friday that he does not intend to risk playing the Swede against Everton (Football.London).
Tottenham have to contend with nine games before the mid-season break for the World Cup in Qatar, including Premier League, Champions League and EFL Cup clashes.
Spurs will have a large contingent in the World Cup, with 13 players from the club expected to be involved in the tournament in Qatar.
The schedule for the second half of the season is also uncompromising, particularly if the Lilywhites advance to the latter stages of the Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup.
Dinnery has now warned clubs there could be an increase in soft tissue and muscle injuries over the course of the campaign.
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When asked if the fixture pile-up is a concern for clubs, he told Football Insider: “Yes, massively. We’re coming out of a shortened pre-season into a season with a winter World Cup in Qatar shoe-horned in.
“It’s heavily disrupted, not just this season but for nearly three years now. This is a culmination of all that put together.
“The number of games across a season is not necessarily an issue but the period of recovery time between matches, that intensity is the issue.
“A good analogy for fatigue is to imagine it as a bucket under a dripping tap. For the most part, you’re absolutely fine but once that water reaches a level, there will become a point where it comes to overflow.
“That’s what fatigue is. Fatigue is that red flag for the possibility of picking up soft tissue and muscle injuries.
“It almost becomes a vicious circle. You’re having to risk players because squads are becoming stretched. It’s a difficult cycle to get out of.
“You’re talking about the end of a season where some of these clubs will be pushing for European places and may be deeply involved in European competitions as well. There are lots of things going on there.”
Spurs Web Opinion
All clubs will likely experience more injuries than usual during the second half of the season, given the crazy schedule, which is why teams like Arsenal, who do not have much depth in certain positions, could be affected in the latter part of the campaign. Spurs have built a strong enough squad to cope better than most clubs.
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