Sports
Premier League’s restart hamstrung by injury fears
The Premier League will return on June 17 after a 100-day stoppage, cramming the remaining 92 games of the season into just five-and-a-half weeks.
A deluge of football may be welcomed by fans starved of live action for three months.
But it is expected to take a heavy toll on players hit by the combination of a long layoff, little contact training, fixture congestion and less hands-on treatment.
“We are expecting more injuries at this time,” Newcastle club doctor Paul Catterson told the BBC.
“We have had players asking if they can have ice baths after training and they can’t at the moment – all we can do is give them ice to take home. It’s like going back 15 years.”
The injury risk is of particular concern for those players who are out of contract at the end of the season and fearing for their future.
Championship side Charlton will be without top scorer Lyle Taylor for their battle against relegation as the 30-year-old has decided not to play and put a lucrative move at risk.
“It makes me think what would happen if I had an injury now that threatened the rest of my career,” Taylor told Sky. “I’ll be honest with you, it scared the life out of me.”
Olivier Giroud was also out of contract at the end of the campaign when coronavirus hit, but has been handed an extra year on his deal at Chelsea.
But at 33, the French World Cup winner is feeling the effects of pre-season-style training without the help of physios to aid his recovery.
“I’ll admit that if I could have more care and treatment to look after my body, it would be better,” he said.
To help lighten the load on players, the Premier League has not only adopted a temporary change to allow five substitutes per side, but also increased the size of a matchday squad from 18 to 20.
However, the lesson from Germany’s Bundesliga, which returned on May 16, is that an increase in injuries is almost inevitable.
According to sports science specialist Joel Mason, Bundesliga injuries went from a pre-lockdown average of 0.27 per game to 0.88 in the first round of fixtures after the competition resumed.
“The early indications from both training and matches continue to point in one direction – that post-lockdown injury rates are comfortably outside the boundaries of the typically observed injury rates,” Mason wrote in a blog post.
Conditioning expert Raymond Verheijen has been a consistent critic of the grind Premier League players are put under even without the complicating factor of coronavirus.
The Dutchman, who served as part of Guus Hiddink’s coaching staff and has worked with Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City in the past described the return as “Russian roulette with the health of players at stake.”
“I am convinced the players sense the danger, but they are in a difficult and dependent position,” Verheijen told the Mirror.
There is so much still to play for at both ends of the Premier League that players can ill afford to bed themselves back into rhythm.
The battle for survival or European qualification could come down to those lucky enough to have their stars on the pitch and not the treatment table. – worldfootball.net
Sports
Black Starlets arrives in Morocco on U-17 AFCON mission …FA boss charges team to make Ghana proud
The Black Starlets, the national U-17 male team, have safely arrived in Casablanca ahead of the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The team departed Accra on Wednesday, travelling with a 35-man contingent made up of 21 players and 14 officials, all focused on delivering a strong campaign on the continental stage.
They completed a smooth five-hour flight to Morocco, where final preparations will continue before the tournament kicks off.
The technical team is expected to fine-tune tactics and build cohesion among the squad as they gear up for the competition.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Mr Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, was present at the Accra International Airport to bid farewell to the team.
Speaking during a brief farewell at the Airport, the FA President urged the team to carry a ‘never say die’ spirit into the competition.
President Simeon-Okraku emphasised the importance of mental strength and unity, particularly in difficult moments during matches. His message was inspired by the team’s recent friendly encounters against Cote d’Ivoire, where they bounced back strongly after an initial defeat.
“I’m very happy that when you lost to Cote d’Ivoire in your first game during your friendly matches, you were able to bounce back—not only to dominate but to outscore them in the second game,” he said. “I read a lot of meaning into that, and I want all of you to keep that in your heads—that, it’s not over until it’s all over,” he added.
The FA president stressed that the ability to respond positively to setbacks would be crucial in a tournament as competitive as the AFCON.
He encouraged the players to stay united and support one another when the pressure intensifies on the continental stage.
“When the chips are down, that’s when we need to hold each other together,” Okraku added. “So go out there and make Ghana proud.”
Ghana will compete in Group D alongside Algeria, Senegal, and South Africa, with their opening match scheduled for Thursday, May 14.
Twenty-three (23) players have been called up for this month’s international friendly against Mexico.
The squad is composed of star players from the domestic league and European leagues who are closely monitored by Coach Carlos Queiroz, as well as U-23 players who will soon represent Ghana in the upcoming Olympic Games qualifiers.
Notable names include Majeed Ashimeru, Felix Afena-Gyan, Razak Simpson, and Birmingham City’s Ibrahim Osman.
Ashimeru returns to action after a long spell on the sidelines due to a muscle injury that limited his appearances at both club and national level.
Also in the team is Felix Afena-Gyan, whose last appearance for Ghana was in May last year when he featured against Trinidad and Tobago in the Unity Cup in London.
Barcelona B’s Abdul Aziz Issah, Ebenezer Annan of AS Saint-Étienne, Ibrahim Osman of Birmingham City, and Paul Reverson of Ajax FC have also been included in the squad.
Midfielder Salim Adams, one of the key players for Ghana Premier League leaders Medeama SC, leads the group of home-based players.
Others are Heart of Lions’ Ebenezer Abban, Ebenezer Adade of Dreams FC, and Nations FC captain Razak Simpson. Ghana will travel to Mexico for the international friendly on Friday, May 22, 2026.
