It is often said in elite sport that an athlete’s best ability is their availability.  

Given the latest figures detailed in the latest Men’s European Football Injury Index published by insurance broker Howden, that idea becomes even more relevant.  

Across European football’s top five leagues, 22,596 injuries were recorded between 2020 and 2025, carrying an estimated salary cost of €3.45 billion (£2.97bn). 

Premier League clubs account for a disproportionate share of that total. Over the five-year period, English top-flight sides were responsible for 5,367 injuries – almost a quarter of the European total – with associated salary costs of €1.38 billion (£1.19 billion).  

For years, players, coaches, and fans have all felt the same thing: the football schedule has become relentless. 

More games at club and international level. Shorter breaks. More injuries. Less margin for error. 

What’s often missed, though, is that the modern game is physically more taxing on a player’s body than ever before. And the consequences are showing up almost every weekend. 

Players are not less robust; clubs are not mismanaging workloads. The game has simply evolved to become faster and more intense, with increasingly less recovery and training time in between. 

More games, at a higher intensity than ever before 

A new decade-long analysis of the Premier League by Arsenal’s Head of Sport Science and Performance, Tom Allen and Dr. Matt Taberner shows just how much the physical demands of elite football have changed over the last ten seasons. 

Between 2015/16 and 2024/25 the research showed that: 

–  High-speed running distance increased by ~23% 

–  Sprint distance increased by ~40% 

–  High-intensity distance increased by ~27% 

– Match intensity (high-speed and sprint metres per minute) rose, even as total distance per minute slightly declined 

–  Total and congested match minutes increased, with the greatest exposure affecting players at top-six clubs 

In simple terms: players are running faster, more often, with less recovery time between games. 

This matters because football injuries are not caused by how much distance a player runs. They’re driven by speed, force, and repetition. Accelerating, decelerating, and changing direction at high velocity places far greater stress on muscles and tendons than steady running ever did. 

Modern football is built on transitions, counter-pressing, and explosive moments. The data reflects that reality. 

The calendar problem isn’t theoretical anymore 

While the number of Premier League matches has remained stable, the global football calendar has expanded aggressively. 

European competition formats have expanded. New International tournaments have been created. Additional time at the end of a 90 minute game has increase. Off-seasons, wherein players can rest and recover, are shorter. 

The same research shows that total match minutes and congested minutes have risen steadily over the past decade, with the sharpest increases affecting players at top six clubs. 

For many elite players, the “off-season” now barely exists. Some are returning to club football with fewer than four weeks of full rest before pre-season begins. This fundamentally changes how players can be prepared. 

Training time hasn’t increased to match the demands 

The assumption is that if players are playing more, they must also be training more. In reality, the opposite is true. 

In the Premier League, an increasing number of clubs are qualifying for European competitions. With games every three days or so, full training sessions are often replaced by recovery, tactical walkthroughs, or light top ups. The window to progressively load muscle and tendon tissue becomes smaller and smaller. 

As Mikel Arteta explained recently, modern players can find themselves exposed to match demands that their bodies simply haven’t been prepared for. Muscles and tendons need time and progressive loading to adapt. Without that, the risk of injury is increased to the point where players are “an accident waiting to happen.” 

The paradox of modern football is this: 

Players are asked to perform more explosive actions, more often, with less time to prepare their bodies to tolerate them. Within the paradigm of sports science and performance, it’s a structural nightmare. 

When exposure gaps turn into injuries 

One of the clearest examples of this came when Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães suffered a hamstring injury during a high-speed recovery sprint in a match against Fulham.  

Arteta later explained that Gabriel hadn’t reached close to his top speed of approximately 34 km/h for several weeks prior.  

That prevailing thought would indicate that when he was suddenly forced to sprint at maximum velocity, his tissues weren’t sufficiently adapted to that level of force. 

Muscles and tendons adapt to what they experience regularly. When high-speed running or sprinting is removed or reduced due to congestion, the body loses its tolerance.  

When those speeds are suddenly demanded in competition, the risk of injury rises sharply. 

Modern football creates these exposure gaps more frequently than ever. 

Managers & head coaches understanding sports science matters 

Managers like Arteta demonstrate something increasingly important: an understanding of the physical realities of the modern game within the parameters of sports science. 

When a head coach understands the practicalities of load, recovery, and exposure, performance becomes collaborative. Sports Science and Medical teams are listened to, and decisions are made with physical risk in mind. 

At clubs like Arsenal, this alignment allows performance staff to explain why certain training exposures matter, even when time is limited. 

It also removes the false tension between “football decisions” and “sports science decisions”. In reality, they’re actually the same thing.

Where data fits into this reality 

The use of technology doesn’t solve congestion. And it definitely doesn’t magically prevent injuries. 

What it does do is provide coaches and practitioners with context. 

Performance data allows clubs to understand: 

• What match demands are actually exposing players to 

• Which intensities are being under-represented in training 

• Where gaps in preparation are forming during congested periods 

This shifts load management away from guesswork and towards informed decision-making. 

In an era where football keeps asking for more, knowing what’s missing becomes just as important as knowing what’s been done. 

The uncomfortable question football has to face 

The evidence is clear. 

Players are running more at higher speeds. They’re playing more frequently. Recovery windows are shrinking. And the game shows no sign of slowing down. 

If football continues to demand more intensity and more games, can preparation models evolve fast enough to protect players without changing the calendar itself? 

That’s a conversation the entire sport needs to have. Not just practitioners. Not just managers. Everyone.