Middlesbrough’s injury record has been much better thus far this season.
Kim Hellberg reveals that Middlesbrough’s recruitment strategy this summer was heavily focused on players’ robustness, as the club seeks to alleviate its injury woes.
While injuries have been prevalent throughout the game, Borough believe they have been disproportionately affected, dating back to the end of the 2022-23 season.
Then, injuries to key players interrupted Michael Carrick’s side’s momentum, and they missed out on promotion via the play-offs.
Borough, on the other hand, have had considerably fewer injury absences this season, owing to a much deeper squad.
And, while manager Hellberg is hesitant to declare victory on the pricey issue just yet, he concedes that, in addition to adjusting some training methods, recruitment has focused on players with good injury records.
When asked about the improved injury picture, Hellberg replied, “I believe we will have to revisit that later if it has been the case for a longer length of time.
But, of course, we’ve changed significantly. We’ve modified our training methods, which always begins when you change coaches.
“When we signed players, we also considered their ability to be on the field, how much time they had spent on the field, and whether they were young players who could run more.
“So, it’s also what the recruitment team was looking for. If we give it more time, we’ll be able to provide a more complete explanation.
“Of course, things change all the time, but I think the time has been too short to assess if that is something we have achieved successfully.”
The emphasis on stronger players is not new this summer. The club attempted to do something similar last year, but it is not an exact science.
Alfie Jones was signed due of his track record of seldom missing a game in previous years, but he sustained an injury in December that sidelined him for nine months.
Regarding Hellberg’s hesitation to declare victory over Boro’s recent injury woes, things have obviously improved, but the true test will be if this can be sustained throughout the course of the season.
So far, the better picture has made it tough for Hellberg to make decisions for each game, with more players available for selection than places in the team.
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