Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk lashes out at 'flippant' injury narrative

The Owls boss, speaking to the media via video call, described his frustration with the narrative that players will have to ‘get on with’ the increased threat of muscle injury after plans to restart the fixture list were announced for June 20.

Monk said he and his Championship colleagues had been planning to restart a week later than their Premier League colleagues, who will kick-off again on June 17.

Training and recovery programmes have been designed around an assumed return date of June 27 and those few days could make all the difference, the Owls boss said, hitting out at what he described as a ‘flippant’ notion that these injuries simply are to be expected.

“The thing I have been hearing a lot in the past couple of weeks from various parts of the media, ex-players and pundits and the thing I don't agree with is very flippantly just saying soft tissue injuries or injuries are part of the game. It is to be expected in this period because of it,” Monk said.

“I feel strongly against that because I have seen soft tissue injuries and what might be a very minimal injury - a four to six-week injury - ruin players' careers. It can be a start of a catalogue of injuries that ruins their careers

“You have also got to understand from the financial point of view that a club playing a players' wages that isn't available for six to eight weeks is a lot of money as well so all those factors go into it as well. I don't agree with quite a bit of what I have been hearing of flippantly that 'injuries are part of the game and we just have to get on with it.

“Of course that is not looking after the welfare of the players.”

Charlton Athletic striker Lyle Taylor – a player fleetingly linked with Wednesday in January – has refused to play the rest of the season with the Addicks due to fears an injury could scupper a free transfer elsewhere in the following weeks.

Monk made clear none of his soon-to-be out-of-contract players have expressed similar fears, but seemed to sympathise with Taylor’s plight.

“In a normal situation where you have had a full pre-season and the players are fit, injuries can happen regardless of any situation,” he said.

“But when you have the knowledge of a squad that is going to be underprepared physically, there is no way around that.

“If you follow that guidance and have done it like we have, I don't think there is any manager that can sit here and say that is the right preparation but it is what it is.

“The train is on the track and you have to deal with it as it and try and overcome that the best way we can.”