Injury Epidemiology in Elite U17 Football Players: A Prospective Study Across Six Competitive Seasons

Injuries in elite youth football may disrupt training continuity and long-term development, particularly during the post-peak height velocity (post-PHV) period when training and match demands increase. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine injury incidence and describe injury patterns in elite U17 football players across six consecutive competitive seasons, including injury type, anatomical location, mechanism, recurrence, and severity. A prospective longitudinal injury-surveillance design was implemented in one elite football academy from 2016/2017 to 2021/2022. Injuries were recorded in the club's medical database using the international consensus time-loss definition. Injury incidence per 1000 h was calculated for overall exposure, training, and matches, and injuries were analyzed by diagnosis, mechanism, recurrence, and severity. Across the study period, 331 injuries were recorded. Overall injury incidence was 6.95/1000 h, with markedly higher incidence in matches (20.61/1000 h) than training (5.82/1000 h). Seasonal incidence ranged from 4.49/1000 h in 2019/2020 to 9.31/1000 h in 2021/2022. The proportion of injured players ranged from 48% to 76% per season. The most frequent injuries were contusions and muscle cramps/DOMS, followed by ligament injuries, tendinosis, and muscle ruptures. Knee, thigh, ankle, and hip/groin were the most affected regions. Most diagnoses showed a predominantly non-contact pattern. These findings support targeted prevention and load-management strategies in elite youth football.