Manchester United is reportedly working on creating an algorithm designed to predict potential injuries in new player signings.
This initiative comes after a concerning season where only seven players from the initial squad managed to avoid spending time in the medical room throughout the entire season.
United is reportedly seeking an innovative “injury-predicting” algorithm to address the club’s persistent injury issues.
The club has contacted the University of Manchester to leverage their academic expertise and resources.
According to Manchester Evening News, this effort is part of Manchester United’s broader strategy to revamp their data analytics approach.
Back in 2012, United boasted that their new medical center at Carrington had the capability to foresee injuries.
Last season, Manchester United recorded 66 separate instances of player injury or illness.
Notably, 12 players were unavailable for the match against Tottenham a couple of weeks prior to the report.
Manager Ruben Amorim had to include eight untried teenagers in the squad for the North London game due to the extensive injury list.
Nine senior players were sidelined for both the draw against Everton the previous week and the win over Ipswich Town on Wednesday.
Andre Onana, Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, and Casemiro are among the few who have remained injury-free this season.
Bruno Fernandes, Joshua Zirkzee, and Alejandro Garnacho are the other three players who have been consistently available for every match.
It’s worth noting that Mazraoui did miss two games in October due to a heart concern, although it wasn’t classified as an injury.
Newcomer Patrick Dorgu had managed to avoid injuries in his first four appearances since joining in January.
However, Dorgu will be suspended for one game after receiving a red card for a foul during the Wednesday match against Ipswich.
Manchester United’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe previously commented that their data analysis capabilities are underdeveloped, stating, “data analysis doesn’t really exist. We’re still in the last century on data analysis here.”
There is currently no confirmed return date for Mason Mount, who was signed from Chelsea in July 2023 for a fee that could reach £60 million.
The former Chelsea player has participated in only 33 out of a possible 93 games since joining Manchester United.
A source within United mentioned that the club has been utilizing extensive data science to manage player workloads in an attempt to minimize and prevent injuries.
Luke Shaw, who hasn’t started a game for over a year, has only made three substitute appearances this season.
Shaw’s first major injury was a fractured tibia and fibula sustained in his second season with the club.
While Shaw has experienced periods of fitness since then, injuries have been a recurring issue throughout his career.
According to Transfermarkt, Luke Shaw has suffered 29 injuries during his Manchester United career, resulting in approximately 1,630 days spent injured.
Lisandro Martinez (ACL injury) and Amad Diallo (ankle injury) are confirmed to be out for the rest of the current season.
