THE ACL EPIDEMIC in women’s football is showing no signs of fading.
Sam Kerr has become the latest high-profile player to suffer a dreaded anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The Chelsea and Australia star sustained the knee setback during the club’s warm weather training camp in Morocco, it was confirmed yesterday, and now faces an extended period on the sidelines. The average recovery time is eight to 12 months.
It’s a major blow for club and country, robbing Chelsea of one of their most important threats as they chase a fifth consecutive Women’s Super League title, and Australia of their talismanic striker ahead of this summer’s Olympic Games.
It’s disappointing, too, for women’s football in general, with another top star falling victim to the scourge.
The list has been endless of late. Arsenal have been particularly affected with no fewer than six players sustaining the injury since November 2022. Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema are fresh in the mind following the recent documentary, Step by Step, which followed their road to recovery, while England captain Leah Williamson and rising Austrian star Laura Wienroither have also been sidelined.
🧵306 confirmed ACL injuries in #WOSO top tier leagues around the world between January 2022 and December 2023.⬇️
— ACL Women Football Club (@aclwfc) January 7, 2024
At least 145 occurred in 2022, 161 in 2023.
Already one in 2024 with Sam Kerr but she will be in next month's list.
First, the list of ACL injuries of 2023 🔎 pic.twitter.com/a961OlrRW9
Two of the biggest names in the global game, Alexia Putellas and Ada Hegerberg, have been impacted, while at the World Cup this summer, the list of absentees was striking: from Williamson, Mead and Miedema, to France duo Delphine Cascarino and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, US pair Christen Press and Catarina Macario, and Canada’s Janine Beckie, among others.
From an Irish perspective, Jess Ziu and Ellen Molloy missed out as they recovered from ACL injuries, while Savannah McCarthy, Megan Campbell and Chloe Mustaki have all suffered the same cruel fate.
Research has shown that women are three to six times more likely to pick up an ACL injury than their male counterparts, with the causes — and the potential for prevention –complex and multi-faceted. Overloading or inconsistency in loading, the menstrual cycle, stress, fatigue, playing surfaces, boots and body imbalance have all been looked at as potential factors. In December, Fifpro released a report highlighting work load, travel distance and travel time as other potential issues.
The risk of uniform approaches to male and female training has also been flagged, with former Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw repeatedly advising against weightlifting.
While that opinion would be widely argued, it’s generally accepted that there can be any number and combination of components, with 64% of ACL injuries non-contact, as per a recent Uefa women’s elite club injury study.
One thing is for sure: more research and investment is needed to tackle this epidemic.
Kerr-fuffle
This isn’t the first time Kerr has sustained an ACL injury, having missed out on the 2012 Olympic Games, while her home World Cup last summer was derailed by a calf injury suffered on the eve of the the tournament which severely limited her impact.
Since joining Chelsea in 2019, the Perth native — whose grandfather, Harry Regan, was born in Cork — has enjoyed a glittering chapter as a key pillar of the club’s successes: four WSL titles in-a-row, three FA Cups, and two League Cup crowns.
Kerr has scored 99 goals in 128 games since signing for the Blues, and with 58 goals in 75 league appearances, no player in the WSL has outscored her since her arrival in England.
She’s a prolific goalscorer and clutch player — 21 of the 58 goals have been match-winners, with six arriving in the last 15 minutes — who wows the crowd not only with her on-field exploits, but her iconic backflip celebration.
A two-time Golden Boot winner and 2023 Ballon d’Or runner-up, she is also one of the most recognisable faces and names in the women’s football, having become the first female player to feature on the cover of the Fifa video game.
But her future at Chelsea is uncertain, with her contract up at the end of the season.
The Champions League has proven elusive for the Blues to date, with the dream intact as managerial mastermind Emma Hayes looks to depart for the US WNT on a high this summer.
Another WSL title is on their radar too, currently three points clear of rivals Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the table.
But it all becomes more of an uphill battle without Kerr. Further attacking responsibility will now fall to Lauren James and Fran Kirby, as well as rising stars Mia Fischel and Aggie Beever-Jones. Hayes may use the January transfer window to bolster her options, though USA forward Catarina Macario is due back from an ACL injury herself soon.
“I don’t know anyone who just puts the ball away like she does,” Hayes said after Kerr’s Champions League hat-trick against Paris FC.
“She really is so alert and decisive with her movement. If that’s her at 80%, then I’ll take that every week.
“That’s not bad and I can’t wait for the 100% version.”
As Hayes’ swansong moves into full view, she has been robbed of that. Women’s football has too.
