Injury watch 2025/26

[Sutekh]

Williams & O’Connor both rested today due to the no. of games and recent injury issues so should be back for Stevenage.

So the current list is

Ritchie
Pereira
Fraser
Elliott
Marriott
Burns
Clarke

Are we sure Williams & O'Connor are rested? They both went off injured last week. Elliott not involved today either.

That was the thought of Tim & Ady from understanding the initial plan under Noel - so they probably both have season ending threatening injuries.

Elliott added.

[Snowflake Royal]

There's no way you'd risk any of those who came off injured last week in a nothing FA Cup game before you've had any time at the club when you can give them an extra 4 days of recovery before playing a league game.

[Sutekh]

Can now add Paddy Lane to the list.

[Four Of Clubs]

Kamari Doyle 'did something to himself' near the end too - trying that ambitious long-range drive. Didn't listen to BBCRB on my way out - was that picked up on?

[Mid Sussex Royal]

So - Lane injured, Wing hobbling at the end.

O'Connor, Burns & Williams all confirmed as injured too.

[Sutekh]

So - Lane injured, Wing hobbling at the end.

O'Connor, Burns & Williams all confirmed as injured too.

Did Dai depart by leaving a curse on the club?

Lost most of the key players over the summer
Recruitment was then spectacularly cr@p
Good luck is non existent
Injury list is reaching a ridiculous extent again, and not just a load of the bit part players, but nearly all the key positions



By all accounts the knackered list could now be:

Pereira
Williams
O’Connor
Wing
Doyle
Marriott
Clarke
Fraser
Elliott
Burns
Lane

Hoping this can be fully clarified on Monday.

[windermereROYAL]

So - Lane injured, Wing hobbling at the end.

O'Connor, Burns & Williams all confirmed as injured too.

Did Dai depart by leaving a curse on the club?

Lost most of the key players over the summer
Recruitment was then spectacularly cr@p
Good luck is non existent
Injury list is reaching a ridiculous extent again, and not just a load of the bit part players, but nearly all the key positions



By all accounts the knackered list could now be:

Pereira
Williams
O’Connor
Wing
Doyle
Marriott
Clarke
Fraser
Elliott
Burns
Lane

Hoping this can be fully clarified on Monday.

Ritchie.

[leon]

So - Lane injured, Wing hobbling at the end.

O'Connor, Burns & Williams all confirmed as injured too.

Did Dai depart by leaving a curse on the club?

Lost most of the key players over the summer
Recruitment was then spectacularly cr@p
Good luck is non existent
Injury list is reaching a ridiculous extent again, and not just a load of the bit part players, but nearly all the key positions



By all accounts the knackered list could now be:

Pereira
Williams
O’Connor
Wing
Doyle
Marriott
Clarke
Fraser
Elliott
Burns
Lane

Hoping this can be fully clarified on Monday.

Ritchie.

First thing LR needs to do is look at the training. Something is wrong.

[Snowflake Royal]

I reckon if we win some games the players will all find a bit more energy.

There's nothing quite like being down to sap your energy levels.

We need to train hard enough to build good fitness, without going so hard the players are tired on matchday and more injury prone. And we all saw in the past that the technique focused training over fitness is just as bad as going to hard on fitness.

I don’t think Hunt had the balance right, but I doubt it was way off.

[Linden Jones' Tash]

Isn't Josh Bowen responsible for this department at Reading FC....?

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Isn't Josh Bowen responsible for this department at Reading FC....?

Yes - but I don't think any of the players have been out longer than anticipated apart from maybe O'Conner.

All these muscle injuries/fatigue have been caused at least partly by Hunt's training regime which he admitted himself was intense.

[Vision]

Isn't Josh Bowen responsible for this department at Reading FC....?

Yes - but I don't think any of the players have been out longer than anticipated apart from maybe O'Conner.

All these muscle injuries/fatigue have been caused at least partly by Hunt's training regime which he admitted himself was intense.

If it was that intense then the argument about Carlisle being fitter than us doesn’t really wash.

The narrative at the moment seems to be that we have a small squad numbers wise but (hot take) I don’t think that’s true.

Squad size without injury is pretty sizeable. Generally you can allow for 3-4 injuries at any time and with 3-4 injuries we’d still have a healthy squad in terms of numbers. Obviously you can’t legislate to whom those injuries occur and in what positions. 3 centre halves injured means we’re using Stickland and Dorsett. The way Richardson was talking you’d think the pair of them were just kids. As 4th and 5th choice they’re probably on average above the level of most 4th/5th choices in League 1.

I’ve always thought that smaller squads seem to maintain injuries to a minimum. I’m not sure each player gets the same individual attention in a 1st team squad of over 25 than that do in one around the 20 number mark.

Hunt was still banging on about another 3/4 players in his interview with Dellor the other day. That would give us a 1st team squad (or players who would expect to be in the 1st team squad) of comfortably over 25 by my calculations. Then, even if you’re relatively injury free you’re dealing with several players who believe they should be part of the matchday squad who are nowhere near it.

In the end Selles kickstarted our recovery, not by adding “bodies” but by streamlining the squad then using Academy players to cover if needed. As far I’m concerned that’s precisely why you keep a Cat A academy in League 1.

[Hound]

Agree Vision

Obvs if yoj over do the intensity it means you go past peak fitness and start dropping off on Matchday pretty quickly. Lack of fitness could easily just be physical tiredness

Just don’t think you need a lot of intense training within the season at all. You just maintain the fitness you achieved during pre season

[Snowflake Royal]

We certainly don’t have a small squad by any stretch of the imagination. We have about a dozen quality L1 players, and then a lot of bang average players who haven't shown they're up to this level.

Hunt's pushed too hard in training, and the results have done for the rest. Adrenaline can get you through that last ten minutes of a game. And when you're winning games, you can shut them down more and conserve a bit of energy. When you're constantly chasing games you're giving more, and trying to do it with less willpower from failing to win, yet again.

[Esteban]

Isn't Josh Bowen responsible for this department at Reading FC....?

Yes - but I don't think any of the players have been out longer than anticipated apart from maybe O'Conner.

All these muscle injuries/fatigue have been caused at least partly by Hunt's training regime which he admitted himself was intense.

Hunt always talked, almost boasted, about the players putting in "big numbers" all the time. It became a distraction for all the poor performances and results in the end.

[Clyde1998]

Isn't Josh Bowen responsible for this department at Reading FC....?

Yes - but I don't think any of the players have been out longer than anticipated apart from maybe O'Conner.

All these muscle injuries/fatigue have been caused at least partly by Hunt's training regime which he admitted himself was intense.

Looking at this job specification for Blackpool's academy sports scientist position:

Reporting to the Head of Academy Sports Science & Medicine, the Academy Lead Sports Scientist is responsible for the leading and delivering of the Physical Performance and Development of Academy Players.

You will design and implement performance programs to enhance athletic development, monitor Player load and recovery, and collaborate closely with coaches and medical staff with regards to optimising physical performance whilst working with parents to support each Player’s long-term development.

Obviously certain aspects only relate to the academy, but it reads to me as if the sports scientists are responsible for the fitness regime, as opposed to it being the responsibility of the manager/coaches.

It would be the physios which would manage recovery.

If the sports scientists are green lighting an intense training regime, then they are (a) problem when it comes to player fitness if players are fatigued and getting regular muscle injuries. It's a different matter if the manager was overruling or ignoring what the sports scientists are saying though.