Injury fears for Barcelona superstar Ewa Pajor after tearful exit | OneFootball

Ewa Pajor of FC Barcelona celebrates scoring her team’s first goal during the UEFA Women’s Champions League match between Hammarby IF and FC Barcelona at Stockholm Arena on December 12, 2024. (Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images)

A tearful Ewa Pajor was forced off the pitch in Barcelona’s game against Atletico Madrid.

And the fear is that she may have damaged her anterior cruciate ligament as her boot stuck in the ground.

Spanish media are reporting that she will undergo an MRI scan on Monday, but the initial medical examinations of the injury have not been good.

It is a shocking blow for Pajor as well as her team. The Polish international had scored five goals in the opening six league fixtures, as well as two against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

She had also scored against Atleti, making her current tally for Barcelona 52 goals in 56 appearances.

She recently picked up the Gerd Muller Trophy at the Ballon d’Or for scoring the most goals in a calendar year across all competitions, including internationals.

Ewa Pajor injury: what is the anterior cruciate ligament?

The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is a band that connects the thigh to the shin. It keeps the leg stable and moves the lower leg backwards and forwards.

ACL injuries do not always require surgery, but that is generally what is required for athletes who wish to return to competition at the highest level. Physiotherapy is also a necessity.

Recent figures have suggested that female footballers are more prone to ACL injuries than their male counterparts, but it is unclear why that might be the case as there is a lack of research into the topic. FIFA are currently funding a year-long study exploring the relationship between the injury and female players’ menstrual cycles.

It has also been suggested that the increased training and game load for female players, which has occurred across a short space of time as the women’s game has expanded, may be a factor.

Some think that the coaching and strength and conditioning work that players are given need to be more closely and carefully tailored for the female body, rather than just mimicking what has historically been done in the men’s game.

Things like the state of the pitch or an ill-fitting boot might also play a role – and of course players can also suffer an ACL tear as a contact injury.