With at least 90 minutes of playing time during a football match, it’s not surprising that footballers are prone to injuries. A team can see several of its players get a mild injury in any one match.

During a game, football players are doing a lot of fast and varied movements such as:

• Running to get the ball

• Quickly stopping and starting when running

• Changing direction when running

• Kicking the football

• Diving for the football

• Jumping up to get the football

• Stretching for the ball

• Tackling their opponents

These movements can cause a number of different injuries and pains in the body. Common football related injuries are often related to the legs, as it is a sport that includes a lot of running and varied movements. There is a lot of pressure put on the knees, particularly when stopping and starting and changing direction quickly during a match. Your feet are a common location to sustain pain and injury. A footballer may get pains or injuries such as sprains and strains in their feet from running and kicking the ball.

Injuries in the England Men’s Squad

With the Qatar World Cup 2022 starting on 20th November, there are currently a number of injuries amongst the teams that are causing concern. We look at some of the varied injuries that have been sustained by the England team. BBC Sport (BBC Sport article) reports on injuries affecting five of England players:

• Knee injury: Chelsea player Reece James has a knee injury that he picked up against AC Milan.

• Groin surgery: Manchester City defender Kyle Walker is recovering his fitness after groin surgery.

• Dislocated shoulder: Kalvin Phillips, Manchester City midfielder, suffered a dislocated shoulder in September. Manager Pep Guardiola said Phillips is "optimistic" about being fit in time for the tournament.

• Hamstring injuries: Kyle Walker-Peters, Southampton full-back, is set to be out until the end of the year with an injury sustained in late October.

  Another player to sustain a hamstring injury is Chelsea's Ben Chilwell. After a "significant" hamstring injury during the final minutes of a recent Champions League game, he has now confirmed he will miss the World Cup.

Sports Massage for Footballers

Whether you play football regularly or occasionally, sports massage can help in several ways. If you have an injury, sports massage uses deep tissue massage techniques to apply pressure on tight/sore areas to release built up tension and break down scar tissue. By focusing on areas of tightness, a sports massage will loosen the muscle tissues and kickstart the circulation of blood and oxygen to the affected muscles in order to help you recover and recuperate faster.

Another reason to have a sports massage is for preventative reasons. As we know that sports injuries can occur in football, having preventative sports massages will help to reduce the risk of injuries. This is because Sports massage releases and reduces tension build up in muscles, improves circulation and speeds up the process of waste products such as lactic acid being expelled out of the muscles after a long period of muscle usage each week, allowing muscles to absorb fresh nutrients in the body and repair themselves. This is an essential part of a healthy recovery for athletes and can help to relax the body. Collectively, these benefits promote recovery and reduces the chance of injury occurring, ensuring maintenance of supple healthy muscles. As well as sport massage, stretching and physiotherapy are also other options that can help footballers prevent injury.

At Q Sports Physio, our sport massage therapists can help ensure you stay match ready with the use of preventative deep tissue treatments and techniques which can also compliment rehabilitation programmes for any present injuries. Our mission is to help you overcome any current injuries and prevent any future injuries occurring.