Chelsea discover £137m cost as shocking new figures come to light

A figure has been placed on the cost of Chelsea's injuries in recent seasons, and it makes eye-watering reading

Chelsea have endured staggering injury costs over the last five years - and the figure could increase if the effects of the club's marathon season take hold this season.

The Blues incurred injury costs of £137million between 2020/21 and 2024/25, according to research by Howden, the global insurance intermediary group, which has published the fifth edition of its Men’s European Football Injury Index.

In addition to focusing on last season, the report also reflected on the past five years. During that period, the Blues, along with Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United, recorded above-average injury costs.

Injury cost is calculated based on a player's daily wage during their time out injured. Therefore, the absence of a highly paid key player will result in higher costs compared to a squad player on a more modest wage.

Chelsea's most expensive season on that front was in 2023/24, when they incurred £45m in injury costs. However, there was a dramatic fall last season, when, despite winning the Europa Conference League and the Club World Cup, injury costs were a more modest £16m.

In total, the Blues suffered 54 injuries last season. In comparison, Arsenal had 70 while Tottenham had 62.

However, there was a rise of 44 per cent in injury instances between June and October 2025 compared to the same period in the 2023/24 season. Additionally, the experts behind the in-depth report typically observe a spike in injuries between November and February, suggesting that careful management of the players who were most involved last season will be crucial.

The study, which also covered the top divisions in Germany, Spain, Italy and France, recorded 22,596 injuries at a cost of just under £3billion across the five years.

Twenty-four per cent of the injuries were recorded by Premier League clubs, which incurred 40 per cent of the costs, underlining the gulf in finances between the English top flight and its European counterparts.

While costs have generally increased, the number of injuries has remained stable and, in some cases, even decreased. However, there has been an increase in injury severity, especially among under-21 players. That has been attributed to players' ever-expanding workloads.

Elite Football Performance & Injury Risk Expert and former Manchester United consultant, Dr Robin Thorpe, said: "A concerning signal is the near 30 per cent increase in injury severity, indicating that players who do become injured are missing substantially more time.

"This rise in severity aligns with reduced recovery windows, cumulative fatigue, and the increasing density and sequencing of elite competition for a selection of teams.

"The vulnerability of young players is particularly striking. Across the top leagues, most notably in the Premier League, under-21 players sustain the most severe injuries despite accumulating the fewest minutes.

"This may point toward a systemic issue within player development pathways. In many cases, players may reach technical readiness for senior football before achieving the physical robustness required to tolerate its demands."