CHERRIES boss Andoni Iraola says it is “normal” that more players are picking up injuries in the Premier League this season, due to a rise in the “ball-in-play time”.

Marcus Tavernier was the latest Cherries player to suffer injury when he was forced off with a hamstring issue at Luton Town on Saturday.

Lloyd Kelly, Max Aarons and Marcos Senesi have all had spells on the sidelines this term with muscular problems, while Luis Sinisterra himself is currently nursing a hamstring strain.

No top-flight club has been immune to a spate of missing players, notably Cherries’ weekend opponents Luton being without 10 senior squad members.

With delays caused by video assistant referee reviews, the amount of stoppage time played has increased significantly for some fixtures, while the calendar is crammed full of matches, particularly for international players.

Figures released during the early months of this season showed the average ball-in-play time during a Premier League match had risen by almost four minutes to 58:42, compared to 2022-23.

Discussing the rise in injuries, Iraola said: “I think it has happened in all the teams in the league.

“I wouldn’t say we have had a lot of injuries. It’s true we have had quite lengthy ones, but it is something that happens every year and is happening more and more, because we are making the players play more and more.

“The ball-in-play time this season probably has gone up by three or four minutes.

“At the end of the season, that is a lot more minutes they have to play, when they are tired at the end of the games.

“So in the end, it is normal there are more injuries.”

Cherries have been without Ryan Fredericks due to a calf muscle issue all season, while Tyler Adams suffered back spasms and missed the loss at Luton.

Antoine Semenyo was withdrawn at Kenilworth Road after Iraola said the Ghanaian felt “tightness”.