Manchester United are the most injury-hit Premier League club, according to new research which shows player burnout is taking a record toll on other European divisions.

The latest “Injury Index” shows a four per cent increase on the previous season across the top five leagues, intensifying anger as Fifa faces legal claims over packed match calendars.

In total, 4,123 injuries were recorded during the 2023-24 season, costing clubs £610 million, according to data published by global insurance intermediary group Howden.

An increase in injury numbers was fuelled by the Bundesliga having the highest number of injuries recorded for the second season running – 1,255 in 2023-24. The data was published after various leagues and players’ unions complained about Fifa’s expansion of the international match calendar to the European Commission.

Unlike rival leagues, the Premier League recorded a drop in the number of injuries recorded, from 944 in 2022-23 to 915 last season.  However, research confirms Erik ten Hag was justified in regularly lamenting United’s injury list as his side finished in eighth place, the lowest in their Premier League history.

United’s injury cost was calculated at £39.81 million, according to data multiplying the daily base salary of the injured player by the number of days they were unavailable due to injury.

The report found United suffered 75 instances of injury across the season, second only to Newcastle on 76. Chelsea had the highest average cost – £540,000 per injury – and the second-highest overall cost at £30.22 million. Champions Manchester City had 57 injuries, at a cost of 32.37 million euros (£27 million).

The Premier League accounted for 44 per cent 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 318.8 million euros (£265.8 million) out of a total of 732 million euros (£610.2 million). That overall figure represented a five per cent increase on 2022-23, while injuries across the five leagues were up four per cent to 4,123.

The report’s publication comes a day after European leagues and player unions lodged a legal complaint against Fifa with the European Commission over the fixture calendar.

They allege that Fifa is abusing a dominant position under competition law in its behaviour over the calendar. They argue “unilateral” changes Fifa has made, such as the introduction of an expanded Club World Cup to start next summer, have harmed the economic interests of domestic leagues and jeopardised player welfare.

Howden has reported a year-on-year increase in the overall number of injuries since it first published the index after the 2020-21 season, although the four per cent increase is well under the 23 per cent hike between 2021-22 and 2022-23.

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.”