10 Most Common Injuries to Expect in the 2026/2027 English Premier League Season

The Premier League is the highest level of the English Football League system. The EPL is contested by twenty clubs and operates on a promotion and relegation-based system. The season starts from August and ends in May, with each team playing 38 games (playing with one another at home and away). Virtually most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays in the afternoon.

This piece looks at the 10 most common injuries to expect in the 2026/2027 English Premier League season, which have heavily affected the 20 English Premier League football clubs over the course of recent campaigns. Football combines power, speed, strength, and agility, therefore requiring fast movements and changes in direction alongside physical duels in a high-speed environment. Consequently, the risk of injury is extremely high. Football injuries are bound to occur, and when they happen, it is either bad luck or an avoidable mishap on or off the field of play.

Research reveals that the majority of football injuries are caused by trauma, such as landing awkwardly from a jump or a collision with an opponent. About one-quarter to one-third of all common injuries in the EPL are due to physical contact, player overuse, and fatigue.

The following are the most common Premier League injuries to watch out for during the 2026/2027 season:

1. Metatarsal Fracture

A metatarsal fracture is one of the most historical injuries in English Premier League football. There are five metatarsal bones that stretch from the ankle to the toes; these bones can be damaged easily because they are fragile, particularly when the foot is put under steady pressure. A fracture of the 5th metatarsal is the most common among professional players.

2. Hamstring Injuries

Hamstring injuries are very common in the EPL and are generally caused by a pull or tear in the muscle, frequently known as a hamstring strain. Categorized by their severity, hamstring muscle strains account for nearly 40% of English Premier League injuries in a typical season. Because hamstring muscles function across both the hip and knee joints, they become highly susceptible to injury due to fatigue and explosive sprinting.

3. Sprained Ankle

The ankle is particularly vulnerable in football because of the fast-paced nature of the game, sharp turns, twists, and poorly timed tackles. Ankle sprains happen when the ligaments surrounding the joint are stretched further than their limit or suffer structural damage. Records across several periods in the English Premier League show that ankle injuries make up roughly 13% of the total injury tally.

4. Knee Cartilage Tear

A torn cartilage happens fairly regularly in top-flight football, with research showing that cartilage tears account for roughly 12% of all EPL injuries every season. The term “cartilage tear” is somewhat ambiguous since it is actually the meniscus of the knee that gets damaged. There are two menisci within every knee joint made from tough fibrocartilage. These tears are usually accompanied by sharp pain, locking sensations, and knee swelling.

5. Sports Hernia (Inguinal Hernia)

Hernia issues are very frequent in high-intensity sports, especially football, where the pelvic region is subject to massive stresses during rapid turning, sprinting, and powerful kicking. Inguinal hernias (commonly referred to as sports hernias) frequently sideline EPL footballers for weeks if surgical intervention is required.

6. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) lies deep within the knee joint, connecting the shin bone to the thigh bone. Its primary function is to stop undue rotation and excessive forward movement of the shin. An ACL tear is one of the most severe injuries in football, often resulting from landing awkwardly from a jump with an over-extended or twisted knee, or via direct high-impact contact from an opponent.

7. Groin Strain

Groin strains happen frequently when a player stretches excessively to win or block the ball. These strains are caused by the over-extension of the adductor muscles located in the inner thigh, requiring careful rehabilitation to avoid recurring setbacks.

8. Match Knocks and Dead Legs

A “knock” is a minor impact injury, occasionally referred to as a tweak. When commentators use the term, it usually means a player has sustained temporary trauma from a tackle, resulting in localized bruising, muscle spasms, or a dead leg late in intense matches.

9. Thigh Muscle Strain (Quadriceps Injury)

Thigh muscle strains are common in sports that require intense kicking, such as football. This injury is a direct consequence of a micro-tear in the quadriceps muscle group located at the front of the thigh, which is responsible for explosive knee extension.

10. General Thigh and Soft Tissue Strains

Because of the heavy physical demands placed on players’ bodies during rigorous Premier League matches and training sessions, soft tissues are constantly at risk of becoming stretched and torn, particularly in the lower extremities. Team fans and managers alike dread hearing that a star player has suffered a soft tissue strain during a congested fixture list.

There is no doubt that the injuries listed above are the most common ones to monitor during the 2026/2027 English Premier League season. However, any of these issues can become deeply frustrating if they are not properly diagnosed, treated, or rehabilitated by professional medical staff.