Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca and staff face huge problem after £30m Todd Boehly bill

and his backroom team will want to address a major issue which cost £30million last season alone.

Following huge spending, underachievement and often downright embarrassment since and Clearlake Capital took control in 2022, the Blues are showing signs of finally getting it right. Maresca’s side went into the international break fourth in the Premier League just four points behind Sunday’s opponents and early leaders Liverpool.

For Chelsea to sustain a Champions League challenge, Maresca will be desperate to avoid injuries which cost the club on and off the pitch last term. Chelsea had the highest average cost in the Premier League – £540,000 per injury – and the second-highest overall cost at £30.22m, according to the Men’s European Football Injury Index, compiled by global insurance intermediary group Howden.

The cost is calculated by multiplying the daily base salary of the injured player by the number of days they were unavailable due to injury. Manchester United paid the highest price of any Premier League team for the injuries at £39.81million.

The report found Erik ten Hag’s side suffered 75 instances of injury across the season, second only to Newcastle with 76. Champions Manchester City had 57 injuries, at a cost of £27m.

The Premier League accounted for 44% of the injury costs across the five biggest European leagues, largely due to its clubs paying the biggest salaries. The English top flight’s injury bill was £265.8m out of £610.2m. That overall figure represented a 5% increase on 2022/23, while injuries across the five leagues were up 4% to 4,123.

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Meanwhile, Chelsea's injury issues are nothing new, having suffered more than the league average for the last four seasons. It represents a major issue that needs to be resolved under the new medical leadership and Maresca, particularly if they are to compete with Liverpool, Arsenal and City this season.

James Burrows, Howden’s head of sport, said the data “underscored the ever-increasing physical demands on players”. He said: “As fixture congestion intensifies with expanded competitions domestically and internationally, we are seeing more players sidelined for longer periods, with a notable five per cent rise in injury costs this season alone.

“Our data captures the demands of modern football and we hope it serves as a valuable tool for players, clubs and governing bodies in their ongoing discussions.”

Chelsea have a few issues ahead of the weekend trip to Merseyside with Reece James still sidelined - although the defender is - while and Marc Cucurella are suspended. The Blues picked up another new injury this week when £20million signing from Villarreal, goalkeeper after colliding with a teammate during Denmark U21s’ game against Iceland.