Football Injuries Ahead of World Cup Qualifying

With so much at stake over the next two games every player wants to don their national shirt and give it their all to ensure their nation progresses. To date, only two European countries have confirmed their place at next summer’s tournament, with the likes of Belgium, Germany, England and Spain all hoping to join Italy and Holland.

With every player pushing to play some are prepared to go beyond the call of duty and play injured, with the likes of Marouane Fellaini delaying wrist ligament surgery and taking to the field with a wrist brace to battle for his country. Belgium has quite a few casualties from football injuries ahead of its crunch game with Croatia tonight, with Vincent Kompany and Christian Benteke both unavailable.

Common Football Injuries

Football injuries are common at all levels, from international level to Sunday league football. Playing football at a professional level puts an enormous amount of pressure on the body in being able to sprint, turn at speed and manage challenges.

The majority of sporting injuries are as a result of overuse, by pushing yourself too far, though bad challenges can also result in injuries, all of which differ in their degrees of severity. Typically, football injuries will be focused on the lower body and can be categorised as either muscle injuries or joint injuries.

If you consider a list of current football injuries in the Premier League there are a complete range of injuries and associated recovery times. As an example, Marouane Fellaini will be out for two months once he has surgery on his wrist injury, something not typically associated with a football related injury. On the more serious end of the spectrum Van Ginkel of Chelsea will be out until next spring with an ACL knee injury.

If you were to consider every type of injury the list would be rather extensive, so let us just focus on common ankle injuries sustained from playing football.

Ankle Injuries

In a game which can sometimes be played on even and slippery surfaces where a player is required to turn at speed then ankle injuries are more likely to happen. An injury is typically sustained where the ankle joint rolls beyond its normal range of movement and results in damage to the ligaments. The extent of the damage is dependent on the extent of the movement of the joint, from a simple strain to a ligament tear or rupture.

A simple sprain is one of the more common ankle injuries sustained and whilst it can be very painful, will rectify itself following a few days of rest. In the immediate aftermath of the injury there may be a swelling of the joint as well as the area being very painful. It is advisable that you stop whatever sport you are doing and rest, using ice to manage the inflammation and avoid putting weight on the joint.

If you continue to remain active after sustaining any ankle injuries then you run the risk of making things worse and from a professional footballer’s perspective are likely to increase your spell on the sidelines.

A more serious type of injury is where there is substantial damage to the ankle ligaments, with them either tearing or rupturing which will ultimately affect your ability to walk, let alone run. The ligaments are the tough bands of tissue connecting the bones within the joint and are responsible for stability, without which you may be unable to put weight on your ankle and hence being one of the more major ankle injuries you can sustain on the field of play.

Whilst you can do everything in your power to avoid football injuries through warming up, cooling down and knowing your limits the adrenaline and desire to win among athletes makes them push harder to achieve glory. Following any injury you should rest for a few days and in the event that it not getting any better it is advisable to seek a professional diagnosis who will be able to offer a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to you.