UEFA has introduced a women’s health expert panel with the goal of gaining a deeper understanding of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and their alarming occurrence in the women’s game, European football’s governing body said on Wednesday.
The panel has begun crafting an ACL injury awareness questionnaire for all members of the women’s football community, aiming to gather insights.
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“Addressing the prevalence of ACL injuries in women’s football is crucial for the wellbeing of athletes and the advancement of the sport,” UEFA Chief Medical Officer Zoran Bahtijarevic said.
A number of star players, including England‘s Leah Williamson and Beth Mead, the United States Catarina Macario and the Netherlands‘ Vivianne Miedema, missed the Women’s World Cup earlier this year due to knee injuries
The initiative will form the centrepiece of a wider ACL injury awareness campaign slated to begin in the latter half of 2024.