Black Stars team doctor, Dr. Prince Pambo, has attributed the increasing occurrence of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries this season to the intense workload on players.
ACL injuries, which typically rule players out for six to nine months after surgery, have sidelined several footballers this season, including Black Stars duo Fatawu Issahaku and Alidu Seidu.
Issahaku suffered his injury during Ghana’s 1-1 draw against Angola in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Luanda. Shortly after, Seidu sustained a similar injury over the weekend while playing for Stade Rennais in Ligue 1. Both players have been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Globally, notable names such as Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, Real Madrid defenders Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal, and Barcelona captain Marc-André ter Stegen have also fallen victim to ACL injuries in 2024.
Rodri had previously expressed concerns about the packed football calendar, citing the new Champions League format and an increased number of matches as contributing factors. Dr Pambo echoed these sentiments in an interview with 3Sports, highlighting how modern schedules are impacting player fitness.
“ACL injuries used not to be so common but what is clear now is that the kind of load that players are exposed to has literally quadrupled compared to previous times so now players are playing a lot more games, and there is lots of load on players compared to what used to happen in times past. That for me is the contributing factor,” he stated.
“Beyond the increased workload, the game itself has become more sophisticated. Players are running more and doing a lot more with the ball,” he added.
The surge in ACL injuries has reignited discussions about player welfare, with calls for football authorities to reassess the growing demands placed on athletes.
