Premier League injuries: Lavia suffers another setback

Paul Macdonald

Updated: 5 Jan 2024 16:05 GMT
7 min read

Romeo Lavia, Chelsea, 2023/24 — © ProShots

Injuries in the Premier League are a reality that managers - in real life and of the Fantasy Premier League variety - have to factor into their thinking on a weekly basis.

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Multiple teams have lost key figures in the first portion of the season, with Arsenal's summer signing Jurrien Timber suffering an ACL injury on his debut, while the likes of Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia have suffered similar setbacks for Aston Villa.

Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku has only recently returned to the pitch to make his competitive debut for the Blues, while Romeo Lavia has suffered yet another heartbreaking setback. Chelsea, Man Utd and Newcastle have at times had as many as a dozen players sidelined.

With the 2023-24 Premier League campaign underway, which English top-flight players are currently injured?

Premier League Injury Table

Arsenal injuries

Arsenal Injuries

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Thomas Partey	Thigh	January
Oleksandr Zinchenko	Calf	January
Jurrien Timber	Knee	March
Fabio Vieira	Groin	January

Aston Villa injuries

Aston Villa injuries

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Emiliano Buendia	Knee	June
Tyrone Mings	Knee	June
Matty Cash	Ill	January
Robin Olsen	Knock	January
Lucas Digne	Thigh	January
Youri Tielemans	Calf	January

Bournemouth injuries

Bournemouth

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Tyler Adams	Hamstring	February
Ryan Fredericks	Calf	Unknown
Lloyd Kelly	Hamstring	January
Emiliano Marcondes	Foot	Unknown
Darren Randolph	Ill	January
Hamed Traore	Ill	January
Hamed Traore	Ill	January
Milos Kerkez	Ankle	January

Brentford injuries

Brentford

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Kristoffer Ajer	Foot	January
Shandon Baptiste	Foot	January
Rico Henry	Knee	June
Aaron Hickey	Hamstring	February
Bryan Mbeumo	Ankle	March
Kevin Schade	Groin	February

Brighton injuries

Brighton

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Ansu Fati	Hamstring	February
Julio Enciso	Knee	February
Joel Veltman	Knee	February
Tariq Lamptey	Hamstring	January
Solly March	Knee	Unknown
Adam Webster	Thigh	January
Kaoru Mitoma	Ankle	January
Igor	Knock	January
Simon Adingra	Thigh	January

Burnley injuries

Burnley

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Jack Cork	Calf	January
Hjalmar Ekdal	Knee	January
Jordan Beyer	Thigh	January
Luca Koleosho	Knee	June

Chelsea injuries

Chelsea

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Trevoh Chalobah	Thigh	Unknown
Ben Chilwell	Hamstring	January
Carney Chukwuemeka	Knee	January
Wesley Fofana	Knee	June
Robert Sanchez	Knee	January
Romeo Lavia	Thigh	January
Lesley Ugochukwu	Other	Unknown
Reece James	Hamstring	March
Marc Cucurella	Ankle	March
Benoit Badiashile	Other	January

Crystal Palace injuries

Crystal Palace

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Cheick Doucoure	Achilles	June
Joel Ward	Thigh	January
Sam Johnstone	Calf	January
Rob Holding	Ankle	January
Michael Olise	Hamstring	Unknown
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi	Hamstring	February

Everton injuries

Everton

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN
Dele Alli	Groin	February
Ashley Young	Other	January
Abdoulaye Doucoure	Thigh	January
Dwight McNeil	Ankle	Unknown

Fulham injuries

Fulham

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Tim Ream	Calf	January
Adama Traore	Hamstring	January

Liverpool injuries

Liverpool

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Dominik Szoboszlai	Hamstring	January
Stefan Bajcetic	Calf	February
Kostas Tsimikas	Shoulder	Unknown
Joel Matip	Knee	September
Andrew Robertson	Shoulder	February
Thiago	Hip	January

Luton Town injuries

Luton

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Reece Burke	Hamstring	January
Tom Lockyer	Recovering from cardiac arrest	Unknown
Dan Potts	Hamstring	January
Marvelous Nakamba	Knee	April

Man City injuries

Man City

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
John Stones	Ankle	January
Jeremy Doku	Knock	January
Erling Haaland	Ankle	January

Man Utd injuries

Man Utd

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Casemiro	Hamstring	January
Luke Shaw	Muscular	January
Harry Maguire	Groin	January
Mason Mount	Calf	January
Tyrell Malacia	Knee	January
Lisandro Martinez	Foot	January
Anthony Martial	Ill	January
Rasmus Hojlund	Ill	January
Victor Lindelof	Groin	January

Newcastle United injuries

Newcastle

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Elliot Anderson	Back	January
Harvey Barnes	Foot	January
Javier Manquillo	Groin	Unknown
Jacob Murphy	Shoulder	January
Nick Pope	Shoulder	April
Matt Targett	Hamstring	February
Joe Willock	Calf	January
Kieran Trippier	Groin	January

Nottingham Forest injuries

Nottingham Forest

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Taiwo Awoniyi	Groin	March
Felipe	Muscular	January

Sheffield United injuries

Sheffield United

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Chris Basham	Ankle	June
Tom Davies	Thigh	January
John Egan	Ankle	January
Daniel Jebbison	Illness	Unknown

Tottenham Hotspur injuries

Tottenham

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Alejo Veliz	Knee	January
James Maddison	Ankle	January
Ivan Perisic	Knee	June
Ryan Sessegnon	Hamstring	January
Manor Solomon	Knee	January
Micky van de Ven	Hamstring	January
Cristian Romero	Hamstring	January

West Ham injuries

West Ham

PLAYER	INJURY	RETURN?
Michael Antonio	Knee	January
Mohammed Kudus	Thigh	January
Lucas Paqueta	Knee	January
Vladimir Coufal	Ill	January

Wolves injuries

None.

Can you win a Premier League medal if injured?

Any player who has made five appearances in a Premier League season is eligible, though clubs are able to make a special case-by-case dispensation case to allow players who have missed the entire season to apply to be given a medal.

What are the worst football injuries?

Generally, any injury to the cruciate ligament of the knee can lead to an extended period on the sidelines.

Twenty years ago, a cruciate knee ligament injury could have been career-ending, but advancement in surgery technology means that players can generally return to action after a prolonged rehabilitation. A return date from a ruptured ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) could now be within eight to 10 months.

Serious ankle injuries remain one of the most recurring injuries, as when a player suffers this, it can impact their movement for the remainder of their careers; notable examples would be Marco van Basten and Jack Wilshere. Depending on the original injury, a player can be back within four months, but more time and care must be given to ease the player back into action.

Broken legs occur less often in the modern game as tackling has been tempered by rule changes, and though players can expect to spend a period on the sidelines, with a clean break and proper surgery, a player can be back in training as soon as four to five months.

Hamstring tears have become an increasingly common problem, and time must be taken to recuperate the player and ease them back into their comeback. But a bad hamstring tear could lead to as long as eight to 10 weeks on the sidelines.

Injury-prone EPL footballers

There are plenty of renowned Premier League players who could have been far more successful if they weren't almost permanently injured.

The aforementioned Wilshere's Arsenal career was effectively ended by a series of persistent ankle problems, while Alan Shearer, though the record EPL goalscorer, missed at least two years due to a series of issues, including groin operations and a serious cruciate issue in 1997.

Elsewhere Arjen Robben was one of the best wingers of the 21st century but spent far too much of his Chelsea career sitting on the sidelines, and the same can be said of Louis Saha, firstly at Fulham and then at Manchester United.