Barcelona star blames 'too many games' for injury crisis

This season has seen a spike in the number and severity of injuries among footballers, and Barcelona star Jules Kounde blames packed fixture schedules for this unfortunate reality.

The 24-year-old will be back in action with Barcelona this weekend after going on an international break with France—the third since the start of the season.

The fixture load are not easing up anytime soon, in fact, there are plans like the new Champions League format in place that will effectively see an increase in the number of possible fixtures in a season. Players continue to suffer enforced trips to the hospital, and Kounde believes a change needs to happen.

As Pulse Sports reported, Barcelona youngster Gavi ruptured his ACL on international duty and is ruled out of action for the rest of the season.

Speaking ahead of the Blaugrana’s clash against Rayo Vallecano, his teammate Kounde spoke against what he believes is the cause of the many injuries this season.

"There are too many games. The pace has become more and more intense, too many injuries,” he said, per Fabrizio Romano

“We’re going in rhythm that's becoming more and more dangerous. There are more and more serious injuries.

“What bothers me is that when we make this observation, people say that we used to play so much. Even if that was true, it doesn't mean it was good before!”

Meanwhile, Nigerian striker Victor Boniface has been nominated for Globe Soccer's Emerging Player of the Year Award, along with several other youngsters.