Footballers consistently get injured, but whenever they go down on the pitch, they are always hoping it isn’t an anterior cruciate ligament injury, commonly known as the ACL. It’s a dreaded injury for anyone, let alone people who place consistent pressure on their knee in every match.
The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the strong bands of tissue that helps connect your thighbone (femur) to your shinbone (tibia). It usually takes professional athletes six to nine months to recover — and, even then, they very rarely come back to the full potential they showed beforehand.
Throughout the whole of the 22/23 Premier League season, there were just four ACL injuries. As of April 2024, there have been ten in the 2023/2024 season, and here they all are.
To begin, the first ACL injury of the season occurred before a competitive match had even started, as Wesley Fofana continued his injury-prone career by injuring his knee. At the time, a Chelsea statement read: “The 22-year-old did not travel to America for the club’s pre-season tour due to specialist medical assessments, which unfortunately confirmed that an operation would be required.” The Frenchman has the ability to be one of the best centre-backs in the world, which is exactly why the Blues signed him, but injuries have held him back so far. The former Leicester player is yet to return.
Emiliano Buendia also injured his ACL in the build-up to the season, creating a bitter blow for Unai Emery, yet he has coped without him impressively. A club statement said: “The midfielder sustained the damage during training and has subsequently undergone a scan.” The Argentine midfielder who previously played for Norwich has not yet played for the Villans this season, but – as of the 3rd of April 2024 – he is getting closer to full fitness. It might prove crucial for the club in their fight for Champions League football against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
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