Cruciate ligament, muscle and ankle injuries: how long is the recovery?
Sep 3, 2026 · 07:35
The most common football injuries and the typical time out - an informational overview.
Injury news often says only that a player will be out "for a longer period". It is worth knowing what the most common diagnoses actually mean.
Muscle injuries
Hamstring injuries are the most common in football. Depending on severity, the time out ranges from a few weeks to around two months. The first weeks after returning carry the highest risk, because that is when a recurrence is most likely.
Ankle ligament injuries
Extremely common, with hugely varying severity: a mild sprain can mean days out, a ruptured ligament months. Rebuilding stability matters at least as much as the disappearance of pain.
Knee injuries
An anterior cruciate ligament tear is the most serious typical football injury, usually requiring surgery and a rehabilitation period of many months, often around a year. The return is staged: running, then ball work, then team training, then matches.
Why can nobody give an exact date?
Because recovery is individual, and clubs deliberately avoid announcing deadlines. Modern rehabilitation uses milestones - strength, range of motion, load tolerance - and only allows progress once they are met.
Important
This overview is for information only: in the case of an actual injury, a specialist always decides on treatment and the return to play.