Nobody likes to see footballers being carried off on stretchers, whatever the cause, but certain kinds of injuries seem to be becoming increasingly common.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are a case in point. The latest incident in the Premier League befell Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez in the team’s recent match against Crystal Palace.
While the length of the player’s absence once he has surgery remains to be seen, it has certainly ended his season and he is not the only one; as the BBC reports, research by Ben Dinnery of Premier Injuries identified Martinez as the tenth player to suffer an ACL injury in the top flight this season.
Seven have come since the turn of the year, suggesting wear and tear on players is a causal factor. This may mean players at various levels, not just the top, could be more vulnerable to ACL injuries at this stage of the season.
Female players have been identified as particularly vulnerable to ACL injuries, being between two and six times more likely to suffer one than men, so while impact injuries may be less severe than in the male game, other risks may be considerably greater.
The Women’s Super League is investigating the causes of this disparity, with one theory being that the risk is partly hormonal, linked to the menstrual cycle, with the time around ovulation presenting the greatest risk due to the effect of oestrogen levels on muscles and ligaments.
Other potential factors include the fact that women have wider hips and are therefore more knock-kneed, and women being less effective at stiffening their knees. These factors have been researched, but the significance of the evidence has been disputed.
The cause of any injury is one matter. For clubs, the key thing is to ensure a stretcher is always on hand so any player can be safely removed from the field and then get the treatment they need as soon as possible.