Arsenal, Villa, United hit hardest by World Cup impact
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- Arsenal had 13 players feature at the World Cup and recorded 4,224 total minutes played, second only to Manchester City, contributing to their high impact score despite fewer players than City.
- Aston Villa's Emi Martinez played 810 minutes — the most of any Premier League player — appearing in every Argentina match including four extra-time sessions, delaying his pre-season return.
- Manchester United are impacted by injuries to new signings Youri Tielemans and Manuel Ugarte, both suffering hamstring injuries during the tournament before Uruguay and Belgium's exits.
- Arsenal dealt with multiple fitness issues, including William Saliba's back injury in France's semi-final loss and concerns over Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka during the tournament.
- Manchester City had 16 players at the World Cup — the most of any club — and led in total minutes played with 5,595, yet ranked only fifth in overall impact due to minimal injuries.
- Coventry were least affected with no players at the World Cup, giving manager Frank Lampard full access to his squad during pre-season ahead of their August 21 opener against Arsenal.
Why it matters: Arsenal, Villa, and United must manage injured key players and delayed returns for those who went deep in the tournament, compressing preparation time before the August 21 season start, while clubs like Coventry gain a full pre-season advantage with no World Cup absences.
