Serie A injury crisis: 78 so far, Napoli lead, Inter safest | OneFootball

According to an analysis by Il Messaggero, Italian football is going through a critical moment on the physical front: the number of injuries in Serie A is growing exponentially.

Serie A, injury emergency: already 78 since the start of the season. Napoli leads the “standings”, Inter the most virtuous

After just seven rounds of the championship, there are already 78 players sidelined, a figure that has never been recorded at this point in the season in recent years.

This is a situation affecting all teams, from the top clubs engaged on multiple fronts to mid- and lower-table sides. The problem, by now, makes no distinctions.

Napoli tops the list for number of injured players

The club most affected is Napoli, which is also at the top of the league table together with Roma. The Azzurri are facing a real emergency: “Napoli,” writes Il Messaggero, “is recovering Politano and Buongiorno, but immediately lost Lukaku and must also do without Contini, Rrahmani, and Lobotka.”

Against Torino, Gilmour will be confirmed in midfield, while Marianucci will get a chance in defense, in order not to risk Beukema ahead of the European away match with PSV Eindhoven.

A careful management of rotations, then, but a necessary one. Especially since the clash with Inter is on the horizon, which for Antonio Conte represents a crucial crossroads.

“Turnover, rotations, targeted choices: the coaches of the top clubs,” the article continues, “all find themselves in the same situation, forced to balance athletic condition with the risk of further setbacks.”

The reasons: packed schedules and unsustainable pace

The root of the problem, according to many trainers and insiders, is twofold: an increasingly crowded calendar and an exasperating pace of play.

“What is happening may be the result of too many close fixtures or of preparations that are not always adequate,” Il Messaggero continues. Yet, the statistics reveal a paradox: the only Italian team to have played in the summer Club World Cup, Inter, is the most virtuous team, along with Roma.

This suggests that there is not a single cause, but rather a combination of factors:

continuous physical and mental stress,

few real breaks for recovery,

the need for increasingly intense performances,

reduced margins for prevention.

The warning from sports doctors: a balance between intensity and recovery is needed

Medical and athletic staff are working to find a balance between workload and prevention. But the line, today, is increasingly thin.

Modern football imposes a frequency of matches that often does not allow for adequate physical recovery. “The public demands spectacle and continuity, but players are increasingly worn out by a system that offers no respite,” observes the newspaper.

The result: every week brings a worrying new report. Clubs have to deal with the impossibility of keeping their squads complete for more than a few consecutive rounds, and the risk of compromising sporting and economic objectives is real.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.