FA and WSL launch two-phase study into ACL injuries in women’s football

The Football Association and WSL Football have launched a research project examining anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women's football, with players and staff across the top two divisions invited to contribute. According to BBC Sport, the FA-funded study will investigate why the injuries happen and how their frequency might be reduced.

Researcher Hanna Lehtovirta will lead the PhD study with Imperial College London and sports knee surgeon Simon Ball. It will involve the Women's Super League and WSL2, drawing on both scientific information and the experiences of people working and playing in elite football. Invitations will extend to players at every club in those competitions, as well as medical, performance and coaching staff.

The first of two research phases will gather information through player surveys. Those questionnaires will cover previous injuries, demands from matches and training, and factors relating to hormones, nutrition and psychological wellbeing. Researchers will compare information from players who have sustained ACL injuries since the 2018-19 season with information from players who have not, rather than examining injured players alone.

Interviews will form the second phase, giving players and staff an opportunity to discuss their understanding of ACL injuries and the training and prevention practices currently in use. Bringing those accounts together with the survey data is intended to examine the issue in the setting of everyday elite football, where potential influences do not operate in isolation.

The BBC report describes ACL injuries as a significant problem for the women's game, with affected players often sidelined for months. Vivianne Miedema, Beth Mead, Leah Williamson and Sam Kerr are among those to have sustained the injury in recent years. The research will examine experiences across both divisions rather than focus only on those high-profile cases.

Earlier studies have identified possible anatomical, hormonal, biomechanical and environmental risk factors, according to BBC Sport, but less is known about the way they interact in elite football's daily routines. The researchers hope the findings will help inform prevention, rehabilitation and player welfare strategies. The project is an investigation of those questions, not an announcement of findings establishing why the injuries occur or how they can be prevented.