Reports suggest that £45 million is lost each season in the average Premier League team due to injured players impacting the teams performance.
With this in mind, the experts have compiled data across all major football leagues to reveal the most expensive football injuries since the 21/22 season.
On their behalf, Stefan Balkenende provides insight on the potential future cost of injuries, and physiotherapist and founder of Gulf Physio, Kieran Sheridan delves into the causes and rehabilitation of the most costly injury.
Key insights:
- Manuel Neuer had the most expensive injury, costing over £15 million.
- Four of the ten most expensive injuries are cruciate ligament tears.
- Lucas Hernandez suffered two of the ten most expensive injuries.
Top 10 most expensive football injuries
| Injury cost rank | Player | League | Current Team (24/25) | Injury | Cost of injury (GBP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manuel Neuer | Bundesliga | Bayern Munich | Lower leg fracture | 15,075,914.80 |
| 2 | David Alaba | La Liga | Real Madrid | Cruciate ligament tear | 11,010,888.30 |
| 3 | Presnel Kimpembe | Ligue 1 | Paris Saint-Germain | Achilles tendon rupture | 8,988,209.32 |
| 4 | Thibaut Courtois | La Liga | Real Madrid | Cruciate ligament tear | 8,102,351.56 |
| 5 | Thiago Alcántara | Premier League | Retired | Hip injury | 7,976,229.07 |
| 6 | Lucas Hernández | Ligue 1 | Paris Saint-Germain | Cruciate ligament tear | 7,582,970.33 |
| 7 | Lucas Hernández | Ligue 1 | Paris Saint-Germain | Cruciate ligament tear | 7,409,843.54 |
| 8 | Kevin De Bruyne | Premier League | Manchester City | Hamstring injury | 7,209,829.21 |
| 9 | Samuel Umtiti | Ligue 1 | LOSC Lille | Knee surgery | 7,063,589.10 |
| 10 | Vitolo | La Liga | Atlético de Madrid | Knee injury | 6,845,679.81 |
- Manuel Neuer- £15,075,915
Taking first place with the most costly injury since 2021 is Manuel Neuer, with his lower leg fracture costing the team just over £15 million. Caused by a skiing accident in December 2022, the goalie was put out of action for 44 matches, spending 311 days injured.
- David Alaba- £11,010,888
Coming in second place is David Alaba. From being whisked off the pitch in December 2023, the defender’s cruciate ligament tear cost over £11 million, with 32 matches being wiped off the cards as well as spending 212 days injured.
- Presnel Kimpembe – £8,988,209
Kimpembes’ mid game fall, back in February 2023 cost over £8.9 Million. With an eye watering 507 days injured, and 68 matches missed, this achilles tendon rupture has been the most waited out injury by far, with the defender still not back on the pitch.
- Thibaut Courtois- £8,102,351.56
Another star with a cruciate ligament tear is Thibaut Courtois. Occurring in a training session in August 2023, the injury costs added to over £8.1 Million. The goalie was injured just two days before the first game of the season for Real Madrid, and was forced off the pitch for 234 days and 42 matches.
- Thiago Alcántara- £7,976,229.07
Thiagos’ hip injury from April 2023 cost over £7.97 million, and ultimately led to his early retirement. After 9 months of recovery, the midfielder’s anticipated return this February ended with another injury within the first five minutes, likely related to his previous hip surgery. He spent 281 days recovering and missed 41 matches before this.
Stefan Balkenende on behalf of Live Football Tickets comments on the most expensive injuries, and the impact on the future of football: “There’s no doubt that teams such as Manchester United and Chelsea suffered greatly from injury last season with neither team able to field their desired starting XI for the majority of the season. Injuries- and their associated costs- have been increasing over seasons in football, and with a fuller schedule forecasted, that means players will spend more time on the pitch, facing heightened risks of injury.
The most common expensive injuries are cruciate ligament tears, with four ranking in the top ten, which alone amount to over £34 million. These injuries require extended rest and rehabilitation, yet there is a common theme of players being injured, and pushing themselves to return only to quickly become reinjured, and even retired in cases like Alcántaras’ hip injury”
Kieran Sheridan, physiotherapist and founder of GulfPhysio expands on the trend of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in football:
“ACL tears are common in football due to the nature of the sport, which involves frequently changing direction, stopping, and high impact collisions. The significant stress on the knee joint makes the ACL vulnerable, and the complexity of the injury requires surgery and extensive physiotherapy, meaning the rehabilitation process can last anywhere between 6-12 months.
In cases where proper healing is not allowed, the issue can become chronic, leading to long term knee problems, reduced performance, and even the potential of ending a career”.
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