Premier League clubs suffer record injuries and costs in 2018-19 season

Latest index showcases which side spent the most

Premier League clubs suffer record injuries and costs in 2018-19 season

Insurance News

By Terry Gangcuangco

A whopping £221 million (around SG$369.1 million) – that’s the record figure representing the cost of injuries to Premier League clubs in the 2018-19 season, according to the new football injury index released by Marsh JLT Specialty.

Spread across the 20 teams were a combined 764 injuries, which Marsh said was the most in the last eight years. According to the major insurance broker and risk adviser, the bulk of the total came from Manchester United at 63 injuries.

In terms of injury costs, however, it was the other Manchester side that saw the biggest hit. The index shows Manchester City incurred in excess of £26.3 million (around SG$43.9 million) for its 44 injuries last season.

“As football’s popularity continues to rise, top level clubs have even more financial fire power and are using extra revenue to attract elite talent with higher wages in a highly competitive global marketplace,” commented Lennox Batten, managing director for special risks at Marsh JLT Specialty.

“The 2018-19 season saw record levels of injuries in the Premier League, notably driven by an abnormally high number of injuries in August and December as a likely consequence of the 2018 World Cup, and a relentless footballing calendar.”

Meanwhile, Batten is not expecting a downward trend costs-wise.

“The fact that injury hit English clubs dominated European competitions last season illustrates just how elite clubs have the ability to continue competing through injury crises,” he noted.

“However, with wages set to continue rising and the footballing calendar remaining as congested as ever, the cost of injuries – effectively the cost of doing business in the game – is likely to keep increasing in the long term.”

Here’s the injury snapshot of last season’s top six:

Club

Points

Total number of injuries

Total days out

Total cost of injuries

1. Manchester City

98

44

1,407

£26,345,944

2. Liverpool

97

50

1,136

£15,153,667

3. Chelsea

72

50

1,014

£11,475,608

4. Tottenham Hotspur

71

61

1,652

£17,889,083

5. Arsenal

70

49

1,771

£24,169,244

6. Manchester United

66

63

1,238

£25,171,708

 

 

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