Burnley boss Vincent Kompany has come up with a plan to reduce injuries in football.
As the 23/24 season begins to take shape, it has been reported that almost 100 Premier League players are either ruled out of this weekend’s matches or facing a late battle to prove their fitness.
Over the last few seasons, top managers in the Premier League have criticised the football schedule amid concerns over their players' welfare.
Advert
Speaking ahead of his side’s match against Newcastle United on Saturday, Burnley boss Kompany has come up with a plan to limit the number of matches a player can play during a season.
He said: “For the players at the top, who have to play for their national teams and all of these other competitions, it should be capped appearances within a season.
“Put a number on it. It's not for me to put a number on it, (but) 60 or 65 games. They (still) have to work hard, don't get me wrong, but 60 games takes a little bit away. It would put the pressure more on coaches and national teams to come to a common-sense calendar.
Advert
“There is a part of the league with an enormous amount of international players playing all over the world who get very little rest.”
Kompany added: “If I look at the position we're in, compared to the Championship last season, it is OK. We're all right.
“I really believe in common sense. You're not going to keep a player away from finals or important games, you're not going to do that, but I think if you decide that physiologically that 65 games is beyond healthy then that should be the cap.
“So when he has to have time off, he has time off. Squads get bigger, players get more game time - everyone is happy. After that, you start juggling around like you do when you have an injured player. It's no more difficult than that.”
During Manchester City’s Treble winning season, midfielder Rodri played 5,304 minutes across 66 matches.
Advert
The 27-year-old previously admitted he has spoken to City about his game time.
As per the Daily Mail, he said: “It's not healthy. You can do it for one season, but when it's two or three in a row, it can be worse for the team because your physicality can drop.
“So I have to watch out. We have already spoken that it cannot always be like this.”
SPORTbible are on WhatsApp! We've launched a dedicated news channel to send you the latest news, features and plenty more directly on WhatsApp and all you need to do to sign up is click through to our one-way broadcast channel here for 'SPORTbible News' to appear in the 'Updates' tab on your WhatsApp.
Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports/GettyTopics: Vincent Kompany, Burnley, Football, Premier League