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Dial Square 1886
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Never. And it's not his fault. It's a thing clubs need to take into account when they sign him or similar players, but it's never the players fault.
Ages ago I posted a study on how injuries during the physical growth phase, which can last iirc up to the age of 23/24, mostly have lasting impacts on bones, muscles and ligaments and how the follow up issues need to be managed very carefully or the players are in danger of chronic aches. This does concern any injury at any age really, as I remember posting something of the like about Emil Forsberg and his continuous groin issues which were on the verge of becoming chronic a few years ago, but the danger of these issues becoming chronic is far higher if you sustain the first injury while you're growing, and the treatment/management of these injuries and the possible fallout isn't managed well. And I think at Arsenal fans have seen too many of these. Ramsey got his leg broken at age 20. Diaby got his first serious ankle injury aged 19. Wilshere was 19 for his first serious injury, too. All of them suffered from subsequent injuries in the same areas. Fabregas might be another one who has maybe never suffered a massive injury during his youth, but a lot of of them, and whose career has been cut rather short, declining at the early age of about 30. The professionalization of sports and football especially, meaning kids get to play at higher levels earlier, thus need to perform to higher physical standards and are more prone to injury, means a higher health risk. Basically, a 18 or 19 or even 20 year old is physically not meant to perform as a high end athlete at the highest level and any serious injury sustained in the physical growth period can or will have lasting effects on your physical apparatus and thus your career. And there's examples in other sports and accounts by athletes from other sports which back this.
Good stuff.
I follow loads of sports and one thing I always think is missed as an attribute when considering elite level athletes is resilience to injury.
A superstar player is about as much use to his/her club as me if they can't get off the treatment table.
Players like Wilshere/Ramsey/Diaby/Rosicky (all Arsenal players!) are prime examples of super talents, who lacked the physical attributes to really excel over long periods of time.
You can call it luck and sometimes it is, but I would also include body type/resistance to injury as part and parcel of being elite.
Look at the two kings of the last generation CR7 and that little fella at Barca and baring a few bits here and there, they have put together long injury free stretches. On paper, very different body types as well, but both well suited to the rigours of pro football.
Our club has not been great at identifying these types of players, in fact it sometimes seems we go the other way, with those listed above, plus the likes of Bellerin, Holding, Chambers, Welbeck and now even Tierney seemingly injured more than they are available.