Can a professional football player play with a broken leg?
England defender Lucy Bronze admitted to playing the entire tournament with a broken tibia after the Euro 2025 final defeat to Spain on Sunday, saying: “No-one knew. I actually had a fractured tibia.”
Although the Chelsea full-back suffered the injury in June, Mum Diane Bronze claimed that she had played in all six of the Lionesses’ games in Switzerland and was a key factor in their success.
We are constantly aware. We were aware that the doctors had checked it and were aware of what was happening, according to Diane Bronze of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.
A tibia fracture: what is it?
A tibia is “the main weight-carrying bone from the knee to the ankle,” according to Dr. Mark Bowditch, president of the British Orthopaedic Association.
The consultant knee and sports surgeon noted that “tibias can be completely broken and separated from other types of fractures, such as stress or fatigue splits.”
A high-energy sudden injury from a fall from a height, twist, or direct blow, such as a studs-up tackle, is known as a complete break. You can’t play for a complete break or even walk away.
Low-energy repeated injuries that are most prevalent in athletes and military personnel are known as “stress/fatigue fractures,” which are likely to be the type Lucy Bronze has.
They typically experience pain following an incident, not a sudden one, according to the statement.
England manager Sarina Wiegman stated that Bronze “had some issues with her tibia so we obviously tried to manage that” following Sunday’s final.
Wiegman’s comments further support the idea that the defender’s injury was a stress reaction rather than a clean break, according to Nick Worth, who served as England’s under-21 team physiotherapist between 2000 and 2003.
How could a fracture be combined with bronze?
Only Keira Walsh, Alex Greenwood, and Hannah Hampton played more for Wiegman’s side overall, the 33-year-old played 598 minutes.
It was “remarkable” that Bronze could play a lot of tournament football, as Dr. Bowditch referred to it as.
He suggested that she should have switched to a low-heaviness training regimen in between games or to practice in a low-heavy environment like a pool or anti-gravity trainer.
“Dr. Ritan Mehta and the Lionesses medical team have done a fantastic job of keeping Lucy going,” said Dr. Ritan Mehta.
According to Worth, Bronze’s decision to accept her injury was based on a study of risk versus reward, conducted in collaboration with the Lionesses’ medical team.
She will not allow suffering to hinder her.
Julie Tough, Bronze’s aunt, told BBC 5 Live, “Lucy wouldn’t harm her body, but she’ll play through pain if she believes she won’t do anything worse to it.”
She will not allow pain to prevent her.
Additionally, Bronze may have relied on various insoles in her boots to distribute weight on the injured leg. Painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications may have also helped her manage her pain during games.
Because she earned a sports science degree, Bronze’s mother, Diane, continued, “The medics knew what they were doing, and they did, and she does.”
She reads books and articles, too. She is aware of accidents. She can continue doing that.
The defender, who was England’s oldest player at the time, managed 105 minutes of play in the showpiece final on Sunday before leaving the field in tears as she was forced to leave due to a different right knee injury.
After that, Wiegman praised her attitude, saying, “She has a crazy mentality, but the entire team has a great mentality. It’s unbelievable.
Worth claimed that pain is subjective.
He said, “Lucy has added that little bit extra because she is an exceptional individual, and not everyone would do that.”
She is aware of her own body, and I have no doubt that she would speak up if something went wrong.
What might the recovery of Bronze entail?
Without knowing the full extent of the injury, it is difficult to say.
The worst thing that could have occurred, according to Dr. Bowditch, was that “the bone effectively snapped as a partial break turned into a full break.”
He said, “Thankfully, this hasn’t happened.” In order to help the bone heal properly, it may require a protracted period of time off to allow it to heal itself, or she may require surgery.
Worth noted that the most crucial thing right now will be rest, with the goal of preventing any long-term effects from playing in the tournament.
Although she will need to work on the tibia a little bit, Bronze should be able to continue working out at the gym and swimming pool, where the weight-bearing can aid in healing.
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related subjects
- Women’s Football Team England
- Women’s EURO 2016: UEFA
- Football
- Women’s Football
Source: BBC
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