The true cost of Manchester United's problems in recent seasons has been laid bare
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Sir Jim Ratcliffe won't be happy with how much Manchester United have had to pay injured players in recent years
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Manchester United have been the Premier League's most injury-hit club over the past five years at a cost of £155million.
United recorded either the highest or second-highest cost figure between the 2020/21 and 2024/25 campaigns, according to Howden, the global insurance intermediary group, which has published the fifth edition of its Men’s European Football Injury Index.
In addition to focusing on last season, when United endured their worst season in half a century, the report also reflected on the past five years. During that period, United, along with Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, recorded above-average injury costs during the record period.
Injury cost is calculated based on a player's daily wage during their time out injured. Therefore, the absence of a highly-paid key player will lead to higher costs than a couple of squad players on a more modest wage.
United's most costly season was actually the 2023/24 campaign, which produced a figure of £45.28million. The club fared better on the injury front last season, with a cost figure of just under £28m, the study reports.
Lisandro Martinez clutching his knee
Lisandro Martinez has suffered injury issues at United
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United's lowest injury cost, at just £14.5m, occurred during the 2020/21 season, when they finished second in the Premier League under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. During the recent five-year period, United had a total of 399 injuries, averaging almost 80 per season.
Next up were Chelsea on 359 and Newcastle on 355. Despite their travails on the pitch, United's injury count last season actually dropped to 68, the lowest number in the recorded period.
The study, which also covered the top divisions in Germany, Spain, Italy and France, recorded 22,596 injuries at a cost of just under £3billion across the five years. Twenty-four per cent of the injuries were recorded by Premier League clubs, which incurred 40 per cent of the costs, underlining the discrepancy in wages between the English top flight and its European counterparts.
While costs have generally increased, the number of injuries has remained stable and, in some cases, even decreased. However, there has been an increase in injury severity, especially among under-21 players. That has been attributed to players' ever-expanding workloads.
Manchester United's Mason Mount (left) leaves the pitch after going down injured
Mason Mount endured an injury-disrupted first season at United
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Elite Football Performance & Injury Risk Expert and former United consultant, Dr Robin Thorpe, said: "A concerning signal is the near 30 per cent increase in injury severity, indicating that players who do become injured are missing substantially more time.
"This rise in severity aligns with reduced recovery windows, cumulative fatigue, and the increasing density and sequencing of elite competition for a selection of teams.
"The vulnerability of young players is particularly striking. Across the top leagues, most notably in the Premier League, under-21 players sustain the most severe injuries despite accumulating the fewest minutes.
"This may point toward a systemic issue within player development pathways. In many cases, players may reach technical readiness for senior football before achieving the physical robustness required to tolerate its demands."
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