La Liga clubs have reported 28 different injuries from 14 clubs as the countdown to the return of the competition draws to an end.
With Sevilla set to take on Betis on Thursday in the first match in three months, clubs are finalising their fitness preparations and it’s likely that there will be a number of players unavailable for the first weekend back.
In three weeks of purely conditioning training with next to no physical contact because of the strict regulations, this rate of injury is noticeably higher than normal, though it should be noted that the majority of the injuries are likely short-term setbacks and easily recoverable.
At Barcelona, both Samuel Umtiti and Ansu Fati have pulled up in training while at Real Madrid Nacho, Federico Valverde and Isco have all taken spells out of action in order to avoid exacerbating their concerns.
Elsewhere Osasuna are the team which has reported the most injuries with up to six players potentially at risk of missing the returning weekend.
With players out of rhythm and being asked to step up to a high standard of performance in such a short space of time, more injuries are likely; the Bundesliga suffered eight in its opening weekend, significantly higher than a matchday average.
Injury experts Zone7 noted in April that players would likely not respond positively to this intense return and suggested that teams will need to be ready to utilise all of their squads if possible; playing eight matches in the space of 30 days increases the likelihood of sustaining an injury by up to 25%.
