On Eddie Howe’s second anniversary as Newcastle United manager, a light-hearted exchange in a press conference underscored a curious tradition in football. A reporter jokingly congratulated Howe for “two years without ever telling the truth about injuries.”

Howe’s smiling response, “Thank you very much — that means a lot coming from you,” drew laughs. But it also highlighted a deeply ingrained aspect of football management: the art of evasion when it comes to team news.

Managers across the Premier League are no strangers to dodging questions about injuries or player availability. For some, it’s a tactical manoeuvre; for others, it’s a means of protecting their players. Either way, the practice has become a fascinating subplot to the weekly drama of football.

In every pre-match press conference, managers are quizzed on team selection. But whether they offer straight answers is another matter entirely. Newcastle fans have grown accustomed to Howe’s cryptic injury updates, but the Magpies boss isn’t the only manager who sees value in keeping opponents guessing.

Take Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, for example. In Believe, Oleksandr Zinchenko revealed that Arteta has asked injured players to board the team bus or stroll into the dressing room with a washbag in hand, all to confuse the opposition.

Arteta himself has admitted to embracing the guessing game. After Bukayo Saka unexpectedly started against Liverpool last month despite being listed as “very uncertain,” Arteta defended his approach. “I don’t want to make it easy for anyone,” he said. “When I know, I am not going to lie, but if I want to keep you guessing, I will.”

The trend isn’t new. Arsène Wenger, a managerial icon at Arsenal, once confessed, “If you ask me have I lied to the press to protect a player, I must honestly say ‘yes’.” Wenger explained that such decisions were made with the player’s knowledge and consent, adding: “This is the story we’re going to give.”

While the occasional untruth may seem harmless, some examples verge on the absurd. Earlier this season, Leicester City manager Steve Cooper ruled Jamie Vardy out of a match against Tottenham, only for the striker to feature and score three days later. “I wasn’t lying in the press conference. I have done that before, but I wasn’t this time,” Cooper later admitted.

Similarly, last season, Mikel Arteta refused to rule Gabriel Martinelli out of a Champions League fixture despite the winger being seen on crutches just days earlier.

Managers have also used public statements to plant false ideas in their rivals’ minds. Sheffield United’s decision to make Ollie McBurnie available for a press conference before a game against Cardiff City backfired spectacularly when the striker later posted photos of himself at a boxing event, exposing the ruse.

Even Marcelo Bielsa, known for his openness, famously altered his approach at Leeds United. After a supporter chided him for revealing his starting XI too far in advance, Bielsa announced, “I can’t do that anymore.” Then, with a wink, he added: “Between you and me, it’s going to be the same team.”

For managers, choosing whether to reveal injury information is often a delicate balancing act. Chris Hughton, a former Premier League manager, explains: “You don’t want to give the opposition an advantage, but you also don’t want to set precedents. If you’re open about one injury, people will expect the same for every situation.”

Medical privacy can also be a factor. Chelsea used Covid-19 as a cover for Melanie Leupolz’s absence until the German international was ready to announce her pregnancy. Similarly, managers sometimes cite vague “personal reasons” for absences to avoid divulging sensitive information about players’ personal lives.

There are times when revealing injury news can have financial consequences. Shortly after Omar Richards joined Nottingham Forest in 2022, the club realised he had a leg fracture that would sideline him for months. Knowing this could affect negotiations for Harry Toffolo, Forest concealed the injury, even naming Richards on the bench for a pre-season friendly.

In another example, Arsenal manager Arteta admitted to using injuries strategically, explaining, “You don’t want to make it easy for anyone.” While fans might see this as clever gamesmanship, there’s a fine line between tactical evasion and outright deception.

The rise of Fantasy Football has added a new layer of scrutiny to injury updates. Fans not only want to know who’s fit for their club but also need accurate information to manage their fantasy teams. Injury analyst Ben Dinnery notes, “For many, the Fantasy Football element has become more important than their own team.”

This demand for transparency is not unique to football. In the U.S., leagues like the NFL and NBA have adopted rules to ensure accurate injury reporting, partly to protect sports gamblers. Yet, even there, misinformation persists. The Philadelphia 76ers were recently fined $100,000 for misrepresenting the status of Joel Embiid, while the NHL’s policy of vaguely categorising injuries as “upper body” or “lower body” has done little to stop speculation.

As football continues to evolve, the debate over injury transparency will likely intensify. Clubs have more to lose than ever, whether it’s giving opponents an edge, harming a player’s privacy, or impacting their financial dealings.

For managers like Eddie Howe, the art of evasion is as much a part of the game as tactics on the pitch. But as fans, journalists, and governing bodies demand more transparency, the line between strategy and subterfuge may only get blurrier.