The Football Association and WSL Football have initiated a major research project aimed at understanding the causes of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in women's football and establishing strategies to decrease their frequency. Financed by the FA, the PhD study is being conducted in collaboration with Imperial College London and sports knee surgeon Simon Ball. Researcher Hanna Lehtovirta will lead the initiative, which will incorporate clubs across both the Women's Super League and WSL2.
ACL tears are widely recognized as one of the most severe challenges in the women's sport, frequently keeping competitors on the sidelines for months. Existing research indicates that female footballers are between two and six times more likely to experience an ACL injury than male players. A succession of prominent names, including Leah Williamson, Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema, Sam Kerr, and Mary Fowler, have suffered the injury in recent seasons. Although prior research has identified potential risk elements such as environmental, biomechanical, hormonal, and anatomical influences, specialists note that little is understood regarding how these elements interact in the daily environment of elite football.
In response, the new study seeks to deliver one of the most comprehensive investigations into ACL trauma in women's football by pairing scientific records with the firsthand experiences of team personnel and athletes. Squad members from every WSL and WSL2 side will be invited to participate alongside their coaching, medical, and performance departments. The investigation will run in two separate stages: the initial phase will use player surveys to collect information on training and match load, injury history, as well as nutritional, psychological, and hormonal factors, evaluating individuals who sustained an ACL injury since 2018-19 against uninjured peers.
The subsequent phase will feature in-depth interviews with squad members and staff to assess perceptions of ACL issues alongside current training regimes and preventative measures. Researchers anticipate that the eventual findings will assist in designing future rehabilitation practices, prevention methods, and player welfare initiatives. The project follows an April 2025 announcement by Fifa, which confirmed it was also providing funding for research to determine whether hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycles play a role in the growing rate of ACL injuries across women's football.