The Premier League is set to resume on the 17th June, subject to continued government approval. It marks the latest step in the much publicised Project Restart. If all goes to plan the season commences with midweek games between Aston Villa and Sheffield United and Manchester City vs Arsenal before a full round of weekend fixtures between 19th - 21st. The last Premier League action took place on 9th March. For the players, this will mean a gap of over 3 months since they were last involved in competitive action.
How best to manage the hiatus has been an issue for all the clubs. The uncertainty regarding Covid-19 in terms of lockdown, return dates, training and fitness drew different responses from performance teams across the league. Many attempted to maintain fitness with a mixture of home workouts and online team sessions. However, the specific type of training needed at the upper echelons of the Premier League means players may have been attempting to limit major drops in fitness, rather than maintaining match-ready condition.
As the lockdown in the UK began to ease, players were allowed to return to stage one training on 19th May. This meant small, socially distanced groups. With less than three weeks until the proposed Premier League restart date, teams have now moved to stage two. This allowed group training with tackling but players had to minimise unnecessary contact. A date for stage three, full training, is yet to be agreed.
The question of injury and player welfare hangs over Project Restart. In the German Bundesliga players were in training for a total of nine weeks before their return. Many only had a three week break between the suspension of the league and resumption of training in some form. Despite the shorter break, upon return, Bundesliga injury rates have been higher than normal. During the first weekend alone, eight players were reportedly injured. During the second round of fixtures Norwegian striker, Erling Braut Håland limped out of the top of the table clash against Bayern Munich. Håland is set to miss at least one of the remaining games as Borussia Dortmund title hopes are dealt a serious blow.
So should we expect a similar increased injury rate when top flight football returns in England? The Premier League is widely acknowledged to be the most physically demanding of the major European leagues in terms of high-intensity running and distance covered. This means player load is high and therefore so is the risk of injury if players are not conditioned for the demands. The short preparation time is a concern for some within the sport science world with, seemingly, a reasonable level of justification. In 2011 due to a dispute over the players collective bargaining agreement, the NFL went into lockout. This meant players could not access training centres, coaches, or sport scientists during the majority of their pre-season period. When the dispute was resolved players were left with just 17 days to prepare for the season ahead. Researchers, led by Gregory Myer (2011) conducted a rapid evaluation of the injury rates among players focusing on the Achillies issues that had seen a surge. The conclusions were stark. Injury to the often career-altering Achilles region increased fourfold during the shortened pre-season period as players rushed to gain match fitness.
Project Restart and a return to training has provided fans with something to look forward to, and the media, finally, something to talk about. But it has also put pressure on performance teams as they focus on preparing the players for competition while minimising the risk of injury.
If they don't have enough time, will teams adjust their playing styles, restrict playing time or increase squad rotation during the first few weeks? Only time will tell. With relegation, european qualification and the additional prize money associated with higher league positions still to play for, injuries could well become a major factor. Let’s hope the Premier League sport scientists have learned from the Bundesliga and NFL and Project Restart remains a positive performance story.
Sport Science Agency uses its insight and expertise to tell performance stories and unlocks their value for brands, broadcasters and rights holders. If you want to know more about what we can do for you, drop us a note via info@sportscienceagency.com and we can arrange to go for a healthy vitamin packed drink.