Opinion: Why do Blackpool continue to be plagued by so many injuries?

As we all know, that didn’t happen and the Seasiders somehow found a way to thrive and get better despite a horde of absences.

Funnily enough, as Neil Critchley made reference to on Saturday, it was almost 12 months to the day that Marvin Ekpiteta suffered a hamstring injury. Fast forward a year and it appears the centre-back has sustained the same fate.

Critchley attributed Blackpool’s muscle injuries last season to the Covid-disrupted season, which saw fixtures crammed into a shorter time frame.

“Right across the country I’m seeing players suffer muscle injuries all over the place,” he told The Gazette back in February 2021.

“You have to be very careful how you assess the injuries because there are so many factors.

“You think about training, disruption of schedules and games, plus the amount of games we’re playing.”

That was then and this is now, so why is it still happening?

Chances are the Seasiders will be without nine players through injury when they take on Cardiff City this Saturday.

Alongside Ekpiteta, Chris Maxwell (quad), Richard Keogh (calf), Luke Garbutt (knee), James Husband (hamstring), Matty Virtue (ACL), Grant Ward (Achilles), Sonny Carey (metatarsal) and Keshi Anderson (hamstring) are the other eight in question.

Before we look at the possible reasons behind these constant injury problems, let’s backtrack a moment.

Of those nine, how many would be in contention for a starting role if they were fully fit? At least six of them, you’d have to say.

I know Critchley doesn’t like to dwell on injuries too much because it can take away from the players he does have fit and available to him – and I get that.

The last thing I want is a manager or head coach in charge of Blackpool constantly bleating and complaining.

For us on the outside, the observers, we shouldn’t take for granted how well this Blackpool team is able to perform under such restrictions.

I cast my mind back to November when Birmingham City boss Lee Bowyer was making a big deal of a supposed “injury crisis” ahead of Blackpool’s trip to St Andrew’s.

As it transpired, both sides had a similar number of players out – eight apiece I believe – yet you didn’t hear a word of complaint coming from Bloomfield Road.

How often do we hear managers, mostly in the Premier League, use injuries as an excuse? They might only have three or four out but you try and find a way.

I’m sure, deep down, Critchley is absolutely gutted to be without so many players, especially his first choice captains in Maxwell, Keogh and Ekpiteta.

However, what good will it do bleating to us guys in the media? What message will that send out to the players replacing them?

Instead, Pool’s head coach puts his full faith in Dan Grimshaw, Jordan Thorniley, Callum Connolly, CJ Hamilton and so on – and look how they’re repaying him.

Back to the matter in hand. Some have attributed the recent injuries to the Bloomfield Road pitch and/or the Squires Gate training ground, but I’m not so sure I buy into that.

Blackpool have been without six, seven, eight or nine players on a pretty regular basis under Critchley’s tenure, it’s not just a recent phenomenon that’s cropped up as a result of the deteriorating pitch.

I’m no medical expert, let’s put that out there for a start, but I can certainly buy the argument that Blackpool are a side who play right on the very limit.

Everything they do is about pushing the physical boundaries.

Their performance against Bournemouth last weekend is a case in point.

The club utilises data, they monitor running distances, fitness levels, trends and so on, so it’s not like they’re putting players on the pitch when they know there’s a good chance of an injury.

In that respect, there is a level of misfortune involved. That’s certainly the case for someone like Sonny Carey, who remains sidelined with a bone injury in his foot.

Players aren’t rushed back either. I know a big deal was made about Chris Maxwell suffering a recurrence of his quad injury not long after making his return in December, but the player admitted that wasn’t the case at all.

The club had done everything right. Maxwell had slowly but surely built up his fitness in training, had some minutes in a behind-closed-doors game and felt absolutely fine on his return against Luton Town, which was actually two weeks later than he was scheduled to come back.

A game later and his quad goes again. Sometimes that’s just how it goes.

When it comes to fitness and medical science, are there areas where Blackpool could perhaps improve?

Knowing how Critchley operates, that’s exactly what they’ll be looking to do – especially with the busy schedule coming up.

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