Manchester United captain Harry Maguire is amongst six England players who have spent at least half of the 2021/22 campaign in the ‘critical zone’
According to analysis carried out by Telegraph Sport, Maguire, along with England captain Harry Kane, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Tammy Abraham, have played at least 50% of their games in the ‘critical zone’ this season – which can have a negative effect on a player’s longevity, health and performance, according to Fifpro.
A player is decided to have played in the ‘critical zone’ if they have made two appearances of 45 minutes or more without a five-day break between the two appearances, something which is especially common as the fixture list continues to get more and more congested.
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With the Nations League taking place right at the end of a highly congested season, many within the game have spoken out against the rammed fixture list, with ex-Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal saying it is “ridiculous” for his team to be playing four games in 11 days.
Additionally, Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has called the competition “unimportant”, with Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk claiming it was “strange” to have four matches at the conclusion of the campaign.
Additionally, earlier this month, Van Dijk said: “I believe that, during these four games, there is more chance of injury after a long season. That has to be observed, to be analysed and players should have an input in [the fixture list].”
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In a recent survey carried out by Fifpro, almost 90% of professional players are in favour of limiting back-to-back matches, to protect against injury.
More than 70% found that the number of consecutive back-to-back games should be limited to four, with a mandatory break being introduced after three games in the ‘critical zone’.
Finally, the report also found that 88% of high-performances coaches believe players should play no more than 55 matches a season, to protect them from injury.
If these recommendations are not followed, then problems could arise for Maguire.
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As Manchester United captain, there is an expectation that he starts most of the clubs’ games, leading to Maguire featuring 37 times for United last season, missing only a handful of games.
Additionally, as a key player for England just six months before an unprecedented World Cup in the middle of the season, and the games will continue to add up for the Englishman.
Furthermore, due to United’s involvement in the Europa League for the 2022/23 season, Maguire and the rest of his teammates will be locked into the Thursday/Sunday schedule that is feared by many managers.
The nature of this schedule means that if Maguire features in both the Europa League and the Premier League consistently for United, he will be spending most of the season in the ‘critical zone’
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A case study for this is Tammy Abraham, who featured for Roma in their successful Europa Conference League campaign, alongside with the Serie A season, as a result exceeding the recommended 55 game season.
Whilst Abraham was able to manage this and have a successful season, there is reason for concern regarding Maguire.
The United captain is coming off a poor season, in which he suffered heavy criticism both in the press and on social media – whilst also being the victim of a bomb threat at his own home.
The 29-year-old will be looking to bounce back this season and will be desperate to impress new manager Erik Ten Hag, but will have to juggle a lot of time in the ‘critical zone’ in order to do so.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, England, Harry Maguire, Football