English clubs also suffered the greatest financial loss through injuries to players, at £184.57m.

There were 4,810 injuries across Europe's top five leagues, representing a 20% increase from 2020-21.

The research, conducted by insurance broker Howden, also found injuries cost clubs in Europe a total of £513.23m - up by 29% on the previous season.

French side Paris St Germain paid out the most to injured players at £34.22m.

Real Madrid, who won La Liga and the Champions League, had the highest number of absences at 114 and second highest costs at £33.95m.

With increasing discussion around fixture congestion, the research looks at whether the costs incurred due to injury are becoming unsustainable for European clubs.

Several high-profile managers have been vocal about the strain on their players, with a recent study from the players' union FifPro suggesting top players could face burnout without a limit on playing time.

Howden said the 2021-22 season was the first time that injury costs exceeded half a billion pounds across the top five leagues - the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A.

Manchester United (81) and Liverpool (80) followed Chelsea with the most injuries in the Premier League, while champions Manchester City had 67 injuries - an average of three absences per match.

Across Europe, there was a significant increase in injuries to players under 21 - there were 326 in 2021-22 compared to just 30 in 2018-19.

There was also many instances of recurring injuries. Of the 4,810 injuries recorded, 2,091 players were affected at an average of 2.3 injuries per player.