Characteristics of musculoskeletal injuries in youth football: a prospective study.

Abstract

Musculoskeletal injuries are common in youth football and can impact athletes' development and performance. Understanding their incidence and characteristics is essential for prevention and management. To analyze the incidence and characteristics of musculoskeletal injuries in youth categories of a Brazilian football club over one competitive season and assess associations with age group, playing position and training load. Prospective cohort study. We included 180 male athletes from four youth categories (U-11/13, U-15, U-17, U-20) monitored during the 2022 season. Data were collected from medical records, including injury diagnosis and severity, training load metrics (sRPE, TRIMP, ACWR, GPS).Injuries were defined as any condition causing at least one day of absence. Statistical analyses included correlations and group comparisons. A total of 181 injuries were recorded; 64.4% of athletes sustained at least one. Muscle injuries were most frequent (59%), followed by joint injuries (19.8%). The U-20 group had the highest incidence (33%), and forwards were most affected (34.2%). Bone injuries caused the longest absences (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). No significant associations were found between training load and injury outcomes. Injury patterns varied by age and position. Muscle injuries predominated, highlighting the importance of integrated monitoring of injury characteristics, athlete profile, and physical demands to support injury prevention and early management in youth football.