Expert rubbishes Edwin van der Sar claim as ‘unprecedented’ Man United blow analysed
Edwin van der Sar is talking nonsense – Man United and the rest of the footballing world will experience and intense fitness hangover from the World Cup in Qatar.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis.
Van der Sar, an iconic figure at Old Trafford after winning eight trohies with the club between 2005 and 2011, now works as chief executive of Ajax and as a board member of the European Club Association.
Per Inside World Football last Firday (23 September), the former shot-stopper claimed that the prevailing view within the ECA is that they are now untroubled by the physical knock-on effects of a winter World Cup.
The tournament in Qatar begins on 20 November, with the Premier League resuming on Boxing Day.
Dinnery inststs that Van der Sar’s claim is an example of “blind faith.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as that,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“If it was, great, but why aren’t all the processes and procedures being implemented across the world now?
“This is unprecedented. No one really knows what’s going to happen. All we can do is look at previous tournaments and research.
“What we do know having looked at it with Premier Injuries, those players who are involved in an international tournament and the return to the Premier League are A) at higher risk of picking up injuries and B) take longer to recover.
“It gets worse for players who go further into the tournament. We have had a shortened first half of the season in addition to the extra fixtures brought in and a round of fixtures cancelled in game weeks seven.
“So, we are already going to have to shoehorn in additional fixtures in the second half of the season which is already congested anyway.
“If England go deep into the tournament, a high percentage of players are going to be coming back from working on a different continent under different demands and thrown straight back into the rigours of the Premier League.
“We know it’s a high-octane enviroment, which is never good when players need to adapt and transition.
“Fatigue is going to be one of the biggest risk factors. There will be worries about players picking up soft tissue and muscular problems.
“So, it’s maybe a bit of blind faith. There will be not getting away from it when we’re looking at the data in January, February, March.“
In other news, pundit claims Scott McTominay looks “lost” at Man United as exit mooted