Leah Williamson and Beth Mead are just two of the high-profile players not competing at the Women’s World Cup due to ACL injuries. But why are so many female footballers suffering from this problem? Strong Women takes a closer look.
Over the last 12 months, the letters ‘ACL’ have almost become synonymous with women’s football. From Arsenal’s Beth Mead and Leah Williamson to Manchester United’s Gabby George and Chelsea’s Aniek Nouwen, the last two WSL seasons have been plagued by players sustaining injuries to their anterior cruciate knee ligament.
And now, for the first time, the issue is getting some investigation. Yesterday, UEFA announced it would be launching an initiative to investigate and better understand the prevalence of ACL injuries in the women’s game.
