Injuries to first team key players in the week between a season ending game and a European final...

[SuperBiggles]

So, just wondering if other people encounter this, or is it just me. It's been one of my biggest bugbears with the last couple of versions of FM.

Namely, that being the fact that it seems that in the week long space between your team finishing their league season and a European final, one of your first team players will gain a medium to long term injury that knocks them out of the final. It seems almost like it's a guarantee at this point, so much so that it's starting to feel (and I know it's a dirty word to use) "scripted" for the sake of a more dramatic end of season?

It happens so, so often that it almost feels like a certainty for me this days. So much so, that in my saves these days I tend to save at the end of my last league game of a season (if I'm in a European final), and slightly scum save to avoid the injures. Is that cheap? Yes. Is it slightly cheating? Yes. But it just so frustrating for it to happen so often.

And now... It's just happening again in my current season, and I started to do a mini experiment. For reference, here's my squad at the minute;

 

Not sure how it helps other than to visualise the players, but there they are. If we break it down into a timeframe,

- Last League game was played on the 20/5/29

- Champions League final is on the 26/5/29

Already Boubacar Kamara got injured. Granted on the 17th, but enough for him to miss out on the final. Annoying, but it can happen. After saving after my last league game on the 20th I started advancing. And wouldn't you know it, I got first team injuries. Again. And again. To break it down initially it was;

- Vanheusden got a 2-3 week injury on the 23rd. I reloaded.

- Angelino got a 3-4 week injury on the 22nd. I reloaded

- Bart Van Rooij got a 2-3 MONTH injury on the 21st. I reloaded.

These were all consecutive reloads as well. I think, as a mini experiment, got as far as the 23rd without an injury and then saved and decided to reload 7 more times (to round it to 10) to see how many more injuries I suffered in the 3 days leading into the final, taking screenshots this time. From that moment leading into the final I had:

 

Angelino injured again...

Gonzalez got injured this time,

 

Then Santi, granted with a short term injury

Then Pires. 

All of these players are pretty key first team players for me. So, out of 10 test runs I got 7 injuries before the Champions League final with reloading, all to key players, all ridiculously.

Is it something with my training? Is it something that just happens? Anyone else find this? Like... I hate that I feel like the game forces me to reload by just throwing these nonsense injuries at me to screw over my chances in the final. It's happened so often in my long term saves over the last few FM's that it's just become a meme in itself for me now. 

For further reference, here is my Injury History:

 

Showing off the Major to Moderate injuries. I mean, Angelino's had a few knocks, but it's not like my team has consistently struggled with injuries or anything. In my opinion anyway, not sure how much knowledge I have on this side of the game.

So, yeah. Anyone else get this?

[Lewis Stewart]

I did have this as well (but did not reload) I think in every year and in every save.

Might be that only your first squad is in training then dice roll for injury is much more prominent. Usually I get some injuries over the season but it hit also reserves and youths.

Edited February 11, 2022 by Lewis Stewart

[turnip]

If you're letting your Assistant sort out training, isn't there a specific training schedule to prepare for a big match? Could it be that this is what's nobbling your players?

If you're taking control of it yourself then I'm not sure how doing 3 Penalties sessions per day for a week causes that many injuries, but it might be worth flagging in the Bugs forum. 

[Mst82]

Happens to me regularly before big games. Always has, and continues to occur no matter what I do. 

[Prokopije]

I had that situation once. Literally all of my good players got injured before crucial part of season, but considering how many saves and seasons I played, it's really, really rare occasion. 

That just one of them gets injury, it happens almost every time, espeacially if I'm managing "smaller" team which is chasing "something big".

Speaking about managing National Teams, that's horrendous. There is no "fixture window" which is not plagued by injuries. I click "confirm squad", click continue, first game stop - 1 or 2 players needs to be replaced due to injuries. Few times I even had situation that I call replacement for injured player - click "continue" - first game stop - replacement needs to be replaced due to injury. Seriously?!

Edited February 12, 2022 by Prokopije