Arsenal are identified as the Premier League club most exposed to World Cup disruption when player minutes, squad involvement, injuries and late tournament appearances are combined. Manchester City had the largest representation and total minutes, but the overall impact ranking places Arsenal ahead of Aston Villa, Manchester United and Spurs.
City had 16 players appear at the tournament and their squad totalled 5,595 minutes, while Arsenal had 13 players involved for 4,224 minutes. Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martínez recorded the highest individual Premier League player workload with 810 minutes for Argentina, followed by Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister on 749 and City's Rodri on 726.
Injury concerns are a major part of the picture. Aston Villa lost Amadou Onana to an ACL injury, Arsenal's William Saliba had a back issue, while Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice also dealt with fitness problems. Youri Tielemans and Manuel Ugarte were both listed with hamstring injuries, adding to the pre-season uncertainty around Manchester United.
The timing is also tight: players are required to have at least three weeks off after the World Cup, and the Premier League season is scheduled to begin on Friday 21 August. Coventry sit at the opposite end of the scale, with no players featuring at the tournament and therefore a far less disrupted build-up.
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