Apparently, the Carolina Panthers aren’t good enough for grass. But Chelsea F.C. sure as hell is.

In a piece on Wednesday from the Charlotte Business Journal, managing editor Erik Spanberg reports that Tepper Sports & Entertainment has agreed to provide a grass field at Bank of America Stadium for the July 20 exhibition match between Charlotte FC and the Premier League giant. The venue, as of the start of the 2021 NFL season, has been operating with an artificial turf surface.

The switch from grass to turf was fueled by Tepper’s desire to hold a wider range of events at Bank of America Stadium. The turf, of course, is a more cost-efficient method of clearing the way for, say, a Rolling Stones or a Kenny Chesney concert.

(And, hey, if you’re interested—Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Poison, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Garth Brooks, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Elton John will all be there over the next four months.)

But, the turf also has a downside, at least to those actually playing football on it. The artificial surface has proven to play host to a significantly greater percentage of non-contact injuries—with data collected from 2012 to 2018 showing a 32-percent higher rate of knee injuries and a 69-percent higher rate of foot and ankle injuries as compared to natural grass.

To Chelsea F.C.’s credit, they’re very much aware of this—hence their contingency of installing grass at the stadium. Can’t be getting these valuable athletes hurt, right . . . ?

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