Injuries 2024/25 | Kovacic ruled out for a month

[cleavers]

People seem to forget we won the title twice without any actual striker.

We're missing goals this season because quite often our finishing is shite (including Haaland).

 

[Lauz9888]

Nightmare situation, really. 8 injuries would be a crisis for any club and with a squad as small as ours we really are down to bare bones.

Injuries happen, and with long, packed seasons of playing more and more games for club and country, the risk to players is only increasing.

The club does what it can to allow players to rest but probably needs to look at bolstering the squad more, both through using youth players more and through buying a couple of more senioe players. We've got quite a lot of players who are great playing every 7-10 days but whose bodies simply can't withstand playing twice a week for months on end.

We can't buy or promote enough players to make 8 injuries not a problem but we've got to try to make it a little bit less of a disaster.

 

[johnny crossan]

Looks like we'll be 'Travellin' Light' - empty spaces in the dugout again - it's happened before

 

[cleavers]

Nightmare situation, really. 8 injuries would be a crisis for any club and with a squad as small as ours we really are down to bare bones.

Has Pep told you the team then, perhaps you could share ?

Oh, just like the rest of us, you don't actually know who is fit, Pep isn't going to tell Bournemouth is he ?

 

[shemnel]

It's not a position Foden seems to relish.

No, but you can understand the thinking, he likes central roles and he can finish well, last season is testament to that, but he really doesn't seem comfortable at false 9 at the moment. That might change.

 

[johnny crossan]

My team guess for tomorrow

Ederson;
Rico Lewis, Manuel Akanji, John Stones, Nathan Aké;
Bernardo Silva, Mateo Kovačic, İlkay Gündoğan;
Phil Foden, Erling Haaland (F/L), Matheus Nunes:

Bench: Stefan Ortega, Scott Carson, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol, James McAtee, Nico O'Reilly, Jacob Wright, Jahmai Simpson Pusey.​

 

[Ric]

 

[inchy14]

Possibly, but it’s a huge ask from a player with so little first team football to fill that void. It might work against lesser sides but if Haaland was injured at the back end of the season and were chasing wins, I would worry we’re a bit light.

As an example Arsenal have the options of Trossard, Jesus, Havertz. Liverpool Nunez, Salah, Gakpo.

That is not knocking him by the way. I posted on here pre-season for me, watching him develop, was the most exciting thing about the new season.

I suppose only time will tell, hopefully Haaland stays fit and I am proven very wrong but it appears a huge gamble.

Them examples show how far ahead we are. Not one player they’re we’d take even with our injuries except Salah and he’s at the end of his career

 

[bluenova]

That’s a super interesting (and nicely presented) document. Thanks for sharing.

I remember last year Joško mentioned he was exhausted and got some media criticism with the implication, footballers are too rich and privileged to be tired. (https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/cd18rjp428no.amp). There seems to be more sympathy toward it this year.

Rodri got mocked when he talked about workload and a strike, but almost immediately picking up such a serious injury in a nothing challenge, has changed a few minds. Even more difficult to be critical now that he's collected a Ballon D'or on crutches.

 

[bluenova]

As we've not played a false 9 since Erling's been here, it's difficult to know who might be best suited to it. We might have several options. Guess we'll see if/when we need it

Where would you say Foden was playing at Spurs?