Fifpro: Top female players at higher risk of ACL and other major injuries, research finds
Top female footballers are more vulnerable to issues like anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, research from the world players’ union has found.
Factors including increased workloads, travel and lack of rest were shown to be factors in the serious injuries sustained.
Data was collected by the top leagues in England, France, Germany and Spain.
The data showed that of the 139 elite players they analysed, 58 were injured over the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
Knee injuries were the most common, with 12 players suffering ACL problems.
The report showed that players with ACL injuries were shown to have made more appearances for club and country, travelled long distances more than others and had more commonly experienced less than five days between matches compared to non-injured players.
Thigh and hamstring injuries were also found to be frequent injuries among top players.
Fifpro chief medical officer Prof Dr Vincent Gouttebarge said it was “especially ACL injuries” that had been shown to be associated with fixture congestion.
He added: “Not only should a better-balanced match calendar be coordinated among all international and national stakeholders, [but] travel demands and quality of multi-disciplinary teams who are managing players also need to be considered to provide footballers with healthy playing conditions.”
