RocktheCasbah that's par for the course in any given season tbh. Excluding who you mention missed Lauren who managed 30 games, we have 6 players who started 31 games or more. City last season had only 5 players who played 31 games or more. If City is an outlier because of their quality, the year Liverpool won the title 7 players started 31 games or more. Chelsea when they won the title in 2015 had 7 players who started 31 games or more than, with Leicester in their title winning season having 8 the most with players.
I'm sure if we keep going back the same pattern emerges in terms of total numbers. Only difference is whether the number missing are all in one period or spread over time deciding how many games you play your first XI together in.
If a team has one player missing for a stretch, then another during another stretch and another during another they could end up having almost no games started together at all despite having the majority of their team fit and able to carry whoever comes in. Another team could have played almost the whole season with their first XI but then have those same 3 injuries at the same time. It might look like the team that started their first XI more often was luckier but I reckon I'd prefer to be the team with one player missing, then another, then another, rather than the one with none all season then 3 at the same time.
