What Do International-Break Injuries Mean for Premier League Clubs?
Abandoning the Premier League schedule in midseason is an accepted annoyance.
International fixtures must be played for competitions across the globe, and no football lover would forfeit the World Cup or European Championships, but consequences loom for the intrusive matches.
Clubs pay on the back end for international pauses—and the most recent spell in Premier League action has cost some of England's key top-flight contributors. From top to bottom, the list of players likely to miss at least one EPL match is extensive.
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Managers desire options. Injuries kill options. Therefore, managers hate injuries. Moreover, club managers despise having to release their players and forfeit ideal environments plus the responsibility of training.
Newcastle's Tim Krul, on an artificial pitch in Kazakhstan, suffered a season-ending knee injury with the Netherlands. His boss, Steve McClaren told reporters, via ESPN FC:
"I spoke to [Krul] on the morning of the game, he wasn't playing and, selfishly, I thought that was good, because then he would be fit for us.
Then I got the news, the severity of the injury, and how he did it—and it's a massive blow.
"
Newcastle own the worst injury, but clubs with legitimate title credentials have endured as well. Four injuries to important components happened over the break.
We investigate further...
David Silva, Manchester City
Arguably the best playmaker in England, David Silva—just recovered from injury—played with Spain and picked up an ankle sprain.
The Guardian suggests Silva's knock from the game against Luxembourg, will take "two or three weeks" to heal.
While losing a player of his quality is never a great thing, Manchester City planned ahead for such matters of inconvenience. Buying Kevin De Bruyne from VfL Wolfsburg for £58 million this summer, the Citizens own the perfect answer to the Spaniard's setback.
De Bruyne will move centrally, and Jesus Navas will play out wide. City boss Manuel Pellegrini has little to stress about with regard to his "No. 10" role depth.
Another injury to an attacking midfielder and there would be massive cause for concern, but the current Premier League leaders could just barely survive with one missing piece.
Barely.
Sergio Aguero, Manchester City
In the striking department, however, Man City cannot afford to lose their talisman—but they have.
Sergio Aguero, flying after a five-goal performance vs. Newcastle United, suffered a hamstring injury with his native Argentina. According to the Guardian's Jamie Jackson, "Kun" could miss "Manchester City’s next seven matches," hopefully returning vs. Liverpool on 21 November.
A once-boisterous City strike force has dwindled. Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko left the club, John Guidetti's contract expired this summer and Stevan Jovetic left on loan to Inter Milan. Wilfred Bony is the only senior member at Pellegrini's disposal, other than Aguero, with Nigerian starlet Kelechi Iheanacho a distant third.
Losing their best playmaker and goalscoring threat puts the league-leading side in peril. They can withstand the loss of Silva, but losing both your best playmaker and chief goalscorer is a critical blow.
Depending on timetables, and considering their other pieces, Man City should scrap together some semblance of competency, but their room for error has been severely dented by the international break.
Bastian Schweinsteiger, Manchester United
Third-place Manchester United will not care too much about their cross-town rivals' injury woes. Any advantage on the Citizens must be celebrated by the 19 other clubs, but the Red Devils have a slight issue on their hands.
Manager Louis van Gaal was already down Michael Carrick in midfield (and did not have space to lose another forward-thinking central midfielder), so Bastian Schweinsteiger's thigh strain, which occurred with Germany, puts the Dutchman on thin ice.
German manager Joachim Low elected to rest the veteran and send him home, but having not trained, the 31-year-old could miss United's clash with Everton at the weekend. This leaves Ander Herrera and Morgan Schneiderlin as Van Gaal's preferred central-midfield pair.
Looking past the upcoming round of matches, Schweinsteiger's age compounds any lost Premier League ground. The former Bayern Munich stalwart—when compared to his contemporaries—has a limited amount of time to comprehend the EPL, then use that information to become a productive midfield presence.
Any arrest in that transition period (i.e. injury or suspension), and the learning curve might be a bridge too far.
Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea
Speaking of bridges, Stamford Bridge's fortress-like quality has all but evaporated.
Chelsea have lost two home games under Jose Mourinho in the space of two months. They had only lost one match under the Portuguese in virtually five seasons of Premier League play before 2015/16 started. It boils down to their defence.
Once Mourinho's calling card, the Blues have regressed hopelessly. As the league's defending champions last year, they conceded 32 goals. This term, in eight games, the number is already 17.
It is unacceptable. Ask around and most Chelsea supporters would place a majority of the blame at the feet of Branislav Ivanovic (and/or Mourinho's blind faith in the struggling right-back). That contingent will receive around three weeks of evidence as the Serbian defender has been ruled out with a hamstring problem, via the Daily Mail's Simon Jones.
Kurt Zouma could be installed at right-back, but the preferred move is putting Cesar Azpilicueta at his natural position while testing 21-year-old, Ghana international Baba Rahman at left-back.
If the issue was indeed Ivanovic—and he is the primary reason Chelsea are in 16th—then Mourinho may ultimately benefit. If not, the west Londoners are royally, well, you know.
*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase where not noted.
