Players are suffering more muscle injuries than ever in the Premier League this season due to the shortened English football season. It’s not only in the EPL, however, as the problem is just as rife in the Football League. In a season that has been truncated by COVID-19, what can the average manager do to prevent these happenings and lessen the risk while maintaining high levels of match fitness? 

To find out, we spoke again to somebody who knows about football because they work within it. The Secret Coach knows plenty about players fitness, having helped players of various ages cope with the physical stresses and strains of the game we all love. They’re a professional football coach in English football… who will remain anonymous. The Secret Coach has worked with some of the biggest names in the game, been through the coaching badges and is currently part of the coaching team at an English league side… and that’s all we’re telling you. As ever, this week, The Secret Coach pulls no punches! They start by explaining to us exactly how it works at the top level.  

“All teams have improved sports science departments these days, crunching the numbers of players’ GPS and fitness data so there is a lot more help and guidance for managers,” says The Secret Coach. “Pre-season is a gradual build-up, with some players not at optimum fitness when the season starts due to international tournaments and holidays to allow for rest. This season, that has not happened, with minimal preparation and players thrown into lots of games. That robustness has not been built up over time.” 

The gradual process would usually have seen players catching minutes at intervals in a pre-season that allows them to build up to full fitness. Instead, Premier League players got four weeks off since the end of the preceding season due to Project Restart.