Qatar 2022: Why players and clubs could expect injury nightmare at winter World Cup in November

Because of the increased danger of injury during the 2022 World Cup, the Premier League has been cautioned to be ready for another season of injury mayhem. Injuries are expected to rise as a result of the abbreviated pre-season and the World Cup in Qatar, according to experts.

'A study by Premier Injuries found that a number of England's outfield players who were competing at Euro 2020 had a significant decline in minutes last season owing to either rotation or injury. As a result of 677 injuries and absences, Premier League players missed more than 2,700 games last season, an increase of about 6 percent over the previous year's numbers.

The English Premier League begins off a week early on August 6 and then continues on Boxing Day, eight days after the Final. It is all in order to accommodate the World Cup, which takes place from November 21 to December 18.

Premier Injuries injury expert Ben Dinnery, who spoke to the Daily Mail on Sunday, said: "The research will tell you we are at risk of creating the perfect storm. I always use the analogy of a bucket under a dripping tap. You don't see any issues until it gets right to the top and then it overflows and players break down.

"The situation isn't ideal in terms of recovery from last season, then chuck in these international fixtures that have been shoehorned in. The Premier League is brought forward by a week when these players really need to go away and recharge their batteries.

"We could be seeing players back on the pre-season training pitch within the next three weeks. So players are arriving ahead of the new season and red flags are going off already. All of these things can come together and raise the risk of a setback or an injury.

"It's obviously a worry and a