Six Premier League stars ruled out with cruciate injuries all wore Nike boots... but experts claim it is an 'unhappy coincidence' 

• Liverpool striker Danny Ings ruled out for season with serious knee injury 
• Ings is one of six Premier League players to be injured wearing Nike boots
• However, expert claims revelation is merely an 'unhappy coincidence' 

By Mike Keegan For Mailonline and Greg Bird For Mailonline

Published: 12:54 EST, 15 October 2015 | Updated: 13:03 EST, 15 October 2015

The six Premier League stars who suffered devastating cruciate ligament injury blows in the last six weeks were all wearing Nike boots - but that is just an ‘unhappy coincidence’.

On Thursday, it emerged that Liverpool striker Danny Ings had suffered a serious knee injury in training and would be out for the rest of the campaign.

The grim news for new manager Jurgen Klopp came just 24 hours after it was revealed that Reds left back Joe Gomez was also done for the year after suffering an identical injury while on duty with England Under 21s. And the crocked Merseyside pair have company.

Liverpool's Danny Ings is one of six Premier League stars to suffer cruciate injuries whilst wearing Nike boots

Joe Gomez has been ruled out for the season after sustaining a knee  injury whilst on England Under 21 duty

In a staggering, costly six weeks, Bournemouth lost promising striker Callum Wilson and £15million worth of new signings in Max Gradel and Tyrone Mings to cruciate ligament tears.

At the opposite end of the country, Newcastle United have been left pondering their goalkeeping options after first-choice Tim Krul picked up a cruciate ligament injury while he was playing against Kazakhstan for Holland and appeared to get his foot stuck in the artificial surface.

Four of the hampered half dozen were wearing Nike's Magista boots, while Ings and Gradel were both in Mercurial Vapor X when disaster struck.

However, experts in football injuries and footwear say it would be wrong to blame the US sportswear giant and that the revelation is merely an 'unhappy coincidence'.

Tyrone Mings, signed from Ipswich in an £8m deal, was taken off just six minutes in to his Bourenmouth debut

Max Gradel, another big-money signing by the Cherries, was also injured in the draw with Leicester City

In a costly six weeks, Bournemouth also lost main goal threat Callum Wilson during the clash with Stoke

Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul (centre) was injured on international duty for Holland during Euro qualifying

Ben Dinnery, injury data analyst from premierinjuries.com, explained: 'Nothing shouts out that this is a problem with footwear and certainly not Nike.

'In almost all cases there has been some form of coming together, with either the turf or an opponent.'

Dinnery added that some managers who had been severely hit had launched their own probes.

'I know Eddie Howe and Sean Dyche both investigated and they found that the injuries were unavoidable.

'In each case there was an external force. I think at Bournemouth two of the injuries happened in the same area of the pitch but that was just a coincidence.

'It is all about how the injuries occur.'

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe looked into the boots but found the injuries to his players were unavoidable

A source in the footwear industry echoed Dinnery's comments.

'Injuries are part and parcel off football and they have always occurred,' they said.

'What brand is being worn is a complete coincidence - this has nothing do with the boots.'

Nike declined to comment. 

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