An English Premier League club is trialling a new blood test that could warn players of their increased risk of injury. The test’s developers say the technology could help professional players continue playing into their 40s.

Nottingham Forest have launched a 12-week study in partnership with Glasgow-based biotechnology company Entourage. The study will initially involve 25 players from the club’s men’s B team.

Blood samples will be taken twice a week and analysed for thousands of proteins. Researchers will try to understand how training, matches, injuries and recovery affect different players.

The research findings will be compared with the club’s current training records, players’ workload and medical information to see if specific patterns of proteins in the blood can predict whether a player is at increased risk of developing a muscle or soft tissue injury without any external impact.

According to UEFA, one in five days of players’ absence due to injury in the 2021-22 season was due to hamstring injuries alone. This is double the rate seen two decades ago.

A separate study in English professional football found that a hamstring injury resulted in an average of 19 days of absence for a player.