Thursday 8 May 2014 16:13, UK
A clean bill of health tops every manager's wishlist come Saturday morning and, fortunately for promotion-winning Burnley boss Sean Dyche, injuries have not often forced his hand on selection issues.
"Sean is a big believer in sports science, and so am I," said Foxes boss Nigel Pearson, who deployed an unchanged line-up 20 times. "Our injury prevention has been a big part of our success. It allows you to operate with less players and, the fewer players that you use, you've got a better chance of consistency and a settled method of playing. "Both sides who have got automatic promotion have had long spells where they've had settled sides." The challenge at Turf Moor next season will be to once again defy critics by avoiding relegation - a target which will be more attainable should Howard continue delivering good news in those morning meetings. He concluded: "We want to continue having all the squad available for all games in the Premier League, look at our performances and be a team that's known to be a very physically fit team that delivers the philosophy of the manager."