Source: Daily_Mail
Modern boots or bad luck: What's behind all these injuries?
[LNB]Has there ever been a start to the season quite like it?[LNB]Five Premier League players have suffered serious injuries and it is only a month since kick-off.[LNB]This week, Manchester United's Antonio Valencia joined Bobby Zamora (Fulham), Fraizer Campbell (Sunderland), Michael Dawson (Tottenham) and Abou Diaby (Arsenal) on the casualty list. [LNB] Pain game: Bobby Zamora after breaking his leg against Wolves last Saturday in a tackle with Karl Henry. He has since had surgery[LNB]After surgery to repair his broken leg, he faces months of treatment and rehabilitation bcolinefore he can return to action.[LNB]So is it a cruel coincidence, or is there something more sinister behind the injuries?[LNB]These were the questions posed by Sportsmail's team of reporters when they met Premier League managers ahead of this weekend's fixtures.[LNB] Bad boots? Steve Bruce is calling for more research[LNB]Sunderland boss Steve Bruce faces six months without Campbell, who isstill waiting to have his operation as surgeons wait for the swellingon his ruptured knee ligaments to subside, three weeks after his legstwisted in the Stadium of Light turf against Manchester City.[LNB]Andthe Sunderland boss has called for full-scale independent research intowhether players' modern boots are connected with the spate of injurieswhich have blighted the start of the season. [LNB]The connectionwill not please the boot manufacturers, but after reviewing the LeagueManagers' Association's research, Bruce is convinced it should belooked at. [LNB]He said: 'There are circumstances surrounding these injuries. [LNB]'These pitches nowadays are fantastic but they are so much harder than they used to be. [LNB]'The footwear, on a lot of occasions, leaves a lot to be desired and we need to look at it because I do believe it is a problem.[LNB]'The LMA did a survey and I would like to see a comprehensive study and report to look at the amount of serious injuries caused by boots with blades, for example, certainly ones we see of late where there is no impact such as Valencia and Fraizer.[LNB]'With Valencia, his foot is caught in the grass, his leg goes one way and foot goes the other. [LNB]'If you look at Fraizer's injury he drags his foot, it can't move and his knee turns and you see it pop. It's awful to watch.[LNB] Broken ankle: Manchester United's Antonio Valencia receives oxygen while being stretchered off against Rangers last week [LNB]'It seems to be happening more and more. [LNB]'Maybe it's time for league managers to sit together and I would have an opinion to see if we can do anything medically, because how often do we see players getting their feet stuck in the ground? [LNB]'There is nothing worse to see and we all wish Valencia a speedy recovery.' [LNB]What do the managers think?Studs not blades: Sir Alex Ferguson[LNB]Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)[LNB]It's possibly down to the speed of the game. Also the pitches are so good on Tuesday we thought maybe Valencia's studs caught in the turf which is so thick at the moment. The players wear studs, we don't use blades.Mark Hughes (Fulham)Maybe in the beginning of the season pitches are a bit firmer. There is not that give you get in winter months that allows joints and ankles to go with the turf, which gives you an opportunity to avoid serious injury. No-one really knows.Roy Hodgson (Liverpool)IT'S quite strange how these freakish things happen. In Switzerland, I had four players with cruciate injuries in five months. I'd only had four in the previous 25 years. Dirk Kuyt's shoulder is my fourth like that this year.Carlo Ancelotri (Chelsea)It could be the training, the fatigue, other things. The most important thing is to give players good recovery. When I played, we trained hard, we couldn't move after training, and we had no recovery, so we had a lot of muscle injuries.Chris Hughton (Newcastle)Certainly one area, I don't know how prevalent it is, but you look at the changes in the pitches, they're a lot firmer than a good few years ago. Footwear's different and whether that's part of the reason I don't know.And here's what the expert says ...'Tired bodies and tired minds can cause injuries. If you're tired and the neuro pathways from your brain to your muscles slow, even if it's only by a millisecond, it delays the reaction time of those muscles which, for example, might stop you turning your ankle.' Leading physio Mark Leather Birmingham striker McFadden suffers cruciate ligament injuryFerguson targets February comeback for crocked winger ValenciaPlayer's boots and rock hard pitches are to blame for recent injuries says Sunderland boss Steve Bruce [LNB]
