Boffins plot cure to Irons’ injury woe

10:54am Tuesday 20th May 2008

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A TEAM of sports scientists claim to have got to the bottom of West Ham's crippling injury crisis.

Four experts from Roehampton University's Sports Performance Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre (SPARC) spent a week with the Irons last month to try and work out why the club's players suffered more than 50 injuries last season.

During their time with the Hammers, SPARC director and physiologist Jackie Dabinett and her team interviewed players, management and staff, conducted medical tests and investigated everything from diets to the state of the club's training pitches.

Afterwards Dabinett, who spent a decade working at the Football Association Human Performance Centre at Lilleshall, presented the team's findings to the board, making a host of recommendations to help clear the club's treatment room.

"We did a full audit of all sport science and sports medicine practices at the club as well as the training and match facilities," she said.

"We interviewed 15 players and all of the coaching staff from the groundsman to the manager.

"We also did some on the spot checks of, for example, players' urine concentration prior to training on one of the days.

"A presentation of the main findings was made to the board on the Friday of the week that we were there and a full report was sent to the club last Friday.

"We are not in a position to disclose the findings but there are a number of recommendations, that if acted upon, should reduce the likelihood of injury in the future and also enhance performance."

One player hoping to make a return from injury sooner rather than later is Freddie Ljungberg, who is battling to recover from a broken rib in time to captain Sweden at the Euro 2008 finals.

"The pain has been quite extreme," said the 30-year-old, who was hurt during the Irons' Premier League clash with Newcastle United on April 26.

"It's been difficult taking deep breaths and it hurts even when I just turn my body. I have been on painkillers, however, and I'm getting better and better.

"I have slowly started to try to jog and have even cycled a little.

"The healing process so far has been all according to the prognosis by our medical staff which is encouraging. I am very much looking forward to being fit for the tournament."

Ljungberg is currently recovering in his homeland, who take on Greece in their opening Group D clash on June 10 before facing Spain and Russia.