Definition of Metatarsal Fracture

One of the injuries that can really hinder athletes (especially in the realm of association football) is a metatarsal fracture. Famous English players like Wayne Rooney, David Beckham and Micheal Owen have also suffered such injuries and took a while to get back to their best.

For those who are unaware, the metatarsal bones are five longer bones in the foot that will connect the toes to the rest of the foot bones. There are a variety of causes as to why a player might give one of these bones a stress fracture: repetitive stress, impacts, twisting and overuse can all lead to these stress fractures in the foot.

The athletes who suffer such injuries will need quite a bit of time to recover, as well as the appropriate protection. If they are rushed back too soon, they run the risk of reinjuring themselves and being out for longer. The generally accepted time that players take to recover (at least with association football) is 6-8 weeks. Although, in cases like the aforementioned Rooney, it can take up to 14 weeks to return to the game.

Some of the world's best players have been sidelined by these metatarsal injuries. In 2019, Neymar was the victim of such an injury, keeping him out for about 3 months. Lionel Messi was kept out for a similar amount of time back in 2006, while Steven Gerrard was kept out for 10 weeks the same year.

Clearly the injury can affect all those who frequently use their feet in their sport. Contact and overuse can really do some damage, and you can only hope that these athletes are able to overcome such injuries to provide the sort of entertainment that we tune in for.