Injuries in football are very common. It is a contact sport where the fight for the ball can lead to injuries. Regular practice, especially at the elite level, can lead to many muscle injuries. Although all players fear several in particular that can put an end to their sporting career.
In this article we review the most serious injuries in football. Both bone injuries, with important breaks or sprains, and muscle injuries. Also those that affect ligaments or tendons.
Worst bone injuries
Bone injuries are one of the least common injuries in football. Almost every time a bone injury occurs, it is caused by fighting against an opponent. You can hardly ever injure a bone without a step, an ill-timed tackle or a fall. Although collisions with a stick or advertising hoardings can cause it.
Although not the most common in football, bone injuries are important. Many of them require several weeks of treatment. These are the worst bone injuries in football.
Tibia and fibula fracture
It is not common to see a fractured tibia and fibula in the world of football. It tends to occur in other more dangerous sports such as motorcycling or in sports with a lot of jumping, such as basketball. However, there are recent cases. André Gomes at Everton after a tackle by Son is the most famous in recent years.
This is a very serious bone break. The ankle is usually torn away from the rest of the leg. Although it is a very unpleasant and painful injury, players usually recover within six to seven months. As soon as strength and mobility are restored, players can return to their previous level of play.
Broken metatarsals
The metatarsals are the bones in the middle of the foot. They are responsible for providing strength to the shots. Breaks in these bones are usually caused by tackles and heavy stomping. It is one of the worst bone injuries for football players because of its importance in the game.
Sports doctors recommend a full and unhurried recovery when a metatarsal is fractured. Striking in pain or returning prematurely can even lead to malformations of the foot. And in a sport where the ball is struck with the foot, this is not the best thing to do.
Worst muscle injuries in football
Muscle injuries in football are the “silent epidemic”. A huge number of football players suffer from a muscle injury every season. Regardless of age, category, opponent or continuity in training. They can occur for many reasons: sudden strains such as sprinting, stretching, wrong body movements and much more.
Hamstring strain
The hamstrings are located at the back of the thigh, below the buttock. Many, many players have felt discomfort in this area at some time. It is one of the worst muscle injuries as it takes several months for the area to heal. Even in the most skilled players.
It will depend on the centimetres of rupture and the fibres affected. An estimated timeframe will be between two and three months. A long time for the average healing time for muscle injuries in football.
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a very uncomfortable muscle injury that is very difficult to recover from completely. The sole of the foot becomes inflamed and it is uncomfortable and painful. Even so, elite footballers often play through the pain so as not to miss several months of competition. For this ailment, rest and correcting the shape of the foot is all that is needed.
Plantar fasciitis is a complicated injury in the world of football. It is due to the fact that players feel healed once they take time off. Their drive and desire to return to competition makes them come back early. Thus, they feel discomfort again and are forced to stop. A continuous and annoying loop.
Worst injuries in football
The worst injuries in football are neither bone nor muscle injuries. They are those that affect ligaments and tendons. They are feared for their pain, for having to undergo surgery, for their long rehabilitation. However, the greatest fear of players is that they will never return to their previous level.
The most common and feared are meniscus or internal ligament tears. Also pubalgia, which affects the pelvis and where players do not feel comfortable playing even after rehabilitation. But these are not the most feared.
Ruptured anterior cruciate ligament
It is one of the most feared by all sportsmen and women. Also in football. The anterior cruciate ligament runs along the back of the knee. It fractures when the knee is destabilised with all the weight of the body on the leg. Stability is lost and it ends up rupturing.
The recovery time is around six months. This is one of the worst faces in the world of football. The player usually does not recover his level, loses his place in the team and is more prone to suffer another injury of this calibre in the knee.
Triad
However, the triad is the most feared injury for all footballers. An almost taboo word. It is a triple injury: rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, rupture of the internal lateral ligament and rupture of the internal meniscus. An ailment that marks a footballer’s career for life.
The injury could keep the player out of action for nine months to a year. Rehabilitation is aimed at regaining the mobility of the knee. It can even lead to the player’s retirement in extreme cases.
