The impact of in-season national team soccer play on injury and player availability in a professional club.
This study investigated the impact of in-season national team duty on injury rates and player availability in a professional soccer club. Time-loss injuries and exposure time during club and national team duties were recorded prospectively over 5 seasons (2009-2014). A time-loss injury was sustained by 37.7% of squad members participating in national duty, all injuries occurring in match-play. The incidence (per 1000 h exposure) for national team player match-play injuries did not differ (P = 0.608) to that for all players in club competitions: 48.0 (95% CI 20.9-75.5) vs. 41.9 (95% CI 36.5-47.4), incidence rate ratio = 1.2 (CI: 0.8-2.4). The majority (58%) of national team injuries resulted in a layoff ≤1 week. Of all working days lost to injury generally, 5.2% were lost through injury on national duty. Injury incidence in the week following national duty was comparable (P = 0.818) in players participating or not: 7.8 (95% CI 3.6-12.0) vs. 7.1 (95% CI: 4.6-9.6), incidence rate ratio = 1.1 (CI: 0.7-2.7). While approximately 40% of participating players incurred a time-loss injury on national duty, no training injuries were sustained and injuries made up a negligible part of overall club working days lost to injury. Following duty, players had a similar injury risk to peers without national obligations.
a Research and Development Department , LOSC Lille Métropole Football Club , Camphin-en-Pévèle; 2. Institute of Coaching and Performance, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.
Christopher
C
Carling
Alan
A
McCall
Franck
F
Le Gall
Gregory
G
Dupont
D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000150:complications; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*
fatigue; football; injuries; match congestion; performance