Concern For Female Footballers Welfare as ACL Injury Crisis Continues

Tranmere Women’s forward Izzy Arrowsmith has raised concerns over player welfare as the team has had seven ACL injuries in three years.

Her concerns come as data in 2025 from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine revealed that female football players are at an 18% higher risk of ACL injury when playing on an artificial pitch compared to natural grass.

Arrowsmith said: “I'm convinced there's something to do with the astroturf, there are way too many black bits scattered about.

“There's like little hills of it in the pitch, and I'm sure that's making a difference because like, we've never had an ACL injury away from home.

“Since I've been there (at Tranmere), there’s definitely been seven (ACL injuries), but I feel like there’s been more too.”

Research by the Medical University of Warsaw shows that this increased risk is due to approximately 15-22% greater rotational resistance on artificial grass than on natural grass.

However, this is a problem unique to female football, as the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine study showed that men’s ACL injury rates are higher on natural grass.

It is also believed that most ACL injuries in men’s football are caused by surface irregularities.

Meanwhile, for women footballers, equipment could be an issue, as boots are primarily designed for men, with 82% of women reporting discomfort when playing in them.

Funding in the women’s game is a major issue in breaching this gap and has directly impacted Arrowsmith.

She revealed that she paid £270 a month for physio to recover from her ACL injury.

The 21-year-old has been out of action for close to three years but paid for her own physio to speed up the recovery.

The forward was keen to stress that the club do support the players, but that they are limited in what they can do due to a lack of funds.

Arrowsmith said: “From the club, we've got a physio, but she does the under 16s, the 1st team and the development team. So, we don't have much time with her.

“And then other than that, there's just no money in the club really to help out, so I've had to wait for my surgery through the NHS, and then I've paid £270 a month for private physio.”