Research summary · Recovery and rehabilitation
Return-to-training and match timelines after football injuries
A review collates reported return-to-training and return-to-match times after non-contact lower-limb soft-tissue injuries in football.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Journal
- BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine
- Population / context
- Football · Non-contact lower-limb soft-tissue injuries
What the publication reports
Thirty-nine studies were included. Reported return-to-match times ranged from 43 days for lateral collateral ligament injury to 249.6 days after ACL rupture and reconstruction; muscle and tendon timelines also varied widely by diagnosis.
Limits and interpretation
Return definitions and injury classifications were inconsistent, and pooled timelines are descriptive group estimates rather than individual clearance targets.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Time to return to sports in football players recovering from lower limb soft tissue injuries: a systematic review with meta-analysis
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42093763DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2026-003245Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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