When a story about a sports surface makes the mainstream press, it's usually for quite an attention-grabbing reason - most often a negative one!

Last week for example, that story about the Dutch TV documentary questioning the health safety credentials of the rubber crumb used in 3G infill, made headlines around the world. A quick look at Google news shows that story struck a chord with broadcasters and news outlets everywhere. As well it might, considering the questions it raised are gravely serious.

This past week though, a non-natural sports surface hit the headlines for a markedly different reason.

Many outlets picked up the story that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had approved the installation at the club's London Colney training ground of a new 'injury-reducing' pitch.

Whilst such a concept almost sounds like it should be placed in the 'too good to be true' file, it is indeed the case that Paris-based company Natural Grass have installed the AirFibr technology at the club's training grounds.

The technology had previously been in use for the past two years on the club’s goalkeeping areas, but Arsene Wenger has now taken the option of using it throughout their 58-hectare headquarters.

According to the Natural Grass website their turf ‘reduces the risk of injuries’ by up to 40%. They say "AirFibr is the first sports surface to combine three usually incompatible properties: resistance, shock absorption and flexibility."

The surface is 100% natural turf rooted into a synthetic substrate made up of synthetic microfibers, cork granules and fine sand.

Arsenal became the first club to use the technology in the Premier League, but have been quickly followed by West Ham. Real Madrid and Lyon are also now clients of Natural Grass, while the turf was used in many stadiums at Euro 2016.

Arsenal appear to have chosen the surface because of their current on-field struggles coming from having six regular first-teamers out through injury. It's apparently a fact, according to research by Premier Injuries, that no other club has averaged more early season injuries on average over the previous five seasons than Arsenal [14.2].

So will this new surface actually make a difference to Arsenal's injury crisis? Natural Grass sites a biomechanics study carried out by the ‘Laboratory of Biomechanics (LBM) of ENSAM Paris’ which they say proves that "AirFibr allows a significant reduction of the risks of players injuries". They say the surface lowers the risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries; lowers the risk of tiring joints (ankles and knees) and muscle fatigue; and lowers the risk of head injuries.

All of which sounds fantastic - and of course you can see why it would grab the attention of news sites.

Is it better though than just a professionally maintained fully natural surface? Time and injury statistics will tell I suppose.

I just hope the wider public don't start to assume that just because a pitch is fully natural that it's somehow more 'dangerous' than these augmented ones. We know what a superb job turf professionals do at all levels of sport with purely natural grass surfaces. It would be far from ideal if these pitches begin to be viewed with mistrust because they are not so technologically advanced.