Bronze on board with study on scale of ACL injuries within game

England defender Lucy Bronze has welcomed a groundbreaking new study that aims to understand the widespread occurrence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in professional women’s football.

Project ACL is a joint initiative by Fifpro, Leeds Beckett University, the Professional Footballers’ Association and sportswear manufacturer Nike, who are all providing expertise and funding.

Some reports have suggested ACL injuries are two to six times more likely to occur in women than men, with only 6% of scientific literature devoted to female athletes, despite some of the game’s top talents like Beth Mead, Leah Williamson, Sam Kerr and Vivianne Miedema missing significant recent spells with the problem.

The partners hope their three-year project, focused on players in England’s Women’s Super League, will result in findings around best practice that can be implemented worldwide, while there are also ambitions to use the WSL as a pilot and eventually expand research to other leagues.

Bronze said: “It’s really important. We need to start fine-tuning the information that we’re putting out. There’s just so much talk and lots of wrong information that gets put out.

“There isn’t a quick fix to eradicating ACL injuries in women’s football. We need to do this finely-tuned research so that we can pinpoint the key factors and focus points. The players need to be more clear on the process of why it happens, what you can do to reduce the risk and not just changing your football boots or what socks you wear.

“It’s important the right information is being put out there, both for players and their support system, clubs, and for the game in general.”

Fern Whelan, an ex-Brighton defender who is now the equality, diversity, and inclusion women’s football executive at the PFA, said: “It’s really a concern (for players) and a frustration, potentially, that more isn’t done.

“You hear the players say ‘If this was the men’s game, it would be very different. Things would be done sooner’. It’s something that crops up a lot, having conversations within squads.

“Players have called for research, so I think it’s our duty to respond to that. It’s a player welfare issue, and one that we take very seriously, but it was a concern for the wider game as well, not just the players.”

Project ACL will comprise three steps: a review of existing academic research; an assessment of WSL clubs to better understand their access to research, facilities and personnel; and real-time tracking of the workload and travel of WSL players through a digital tool.

Organisers are keen to emphasise the project’s more holistic focus on playing conditions, resources and environment rather than just the physiology of the players.

England and Barcelona defender Lucy Bronze.