Inside PL’s growing injury issue as stars sidelined and clubs count £45m cost

The warning signs have been there for some time, now the repercussions are being felt. More than 30 players will be missing from Premier League action this weekend due to hamstring injuries and the sight of Tottenham centre-back Micky van de Ven pulling up lame on Monday has finally brought the epidemic into focus.

Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Casemiro and Ben Chilwell are some of the others sidelined - all victims of a perfect storm.

Data indicates that the prevalence of hamstring injuries has risen sharply in recent years with a UEFA-backed study saying the number has doubled in the past two decades and a quarter of all injuries are specific to the one muscle group.

And the primary reason, according to players and union bosses, is stars have been pushed to breaking point because of increased demands. FIFPRO, the global players’ union, has repeatedly stressed that top-level performers are being placed at not just physical risk but mental too.

Why hamstrings in particular? Football is faster than ever and players are making more explosive sprints than before, placing the area under greater stress. It also services two joints - the hip and knee.

Such injuries are becoming another stick to beat VAR with, epitomised by Van de Ven getting hurt not long after a seven-minute break in that remarkable defeat to Chelsea. Such lengthy delays sees players cool down and upon the restart make the risk of injury higher.

Defining the exact scale is hard to find but PFA chief executive Maheta Molango said : “Intuitively I would say yes — that the stoppages like we saw on Monday will lead to injuries because players cooled down and then have to sprint straight away. Player welfare should be a big issue. But we are killing the product at the