Who are the most injury-prone footballers currently?

PSG' Neymar after his injury against Marseille
PSG' Neymar after his injury against Marseille

Injuries are a natural part of football just like any sport, but unfortunately for some footballers, they're just a little bit more common and frequent than others. Sometimes it's just a niggle which refuses to go away; other times it's a more serious occurrence. But in any case, injuries are a very common thing in football, and some players seem to be a little more injury-prone than others.

When a team's star-man limps off, every fan feels the pain. However, as all supporters know, there are many players for whom the sight of being treated by the medical team has been an all too frequent occurrence in recent years. It can also have serious repercussions on the player, in some cases, a single injury can damage a player so much, he may never be the same again.

Let's look at some of the most injury-prone players currently:

#5 Arjen Robben - Bayern Munich

Robben has been one of the best wingers in the history of football. He is known for his pace, amazing dribbling skills and the habit of picking up injuries. Since moving from Real Madrid in 2009, he has been struggling with injuries at Bayern Munich. In his first season at the German club, he was incredible and also won the Footballer of the Year award in Germany.

Although he has been one of the best players for Bayern, he has suffered from an awful lot of injuries. He was injured for a total of 1073 days and has missed 174 games for Bayern.

This season too he has been struggling a lot and has only managed 15 appearances.

FC Bayern Muenchen v SL Benfica - UEFA Champions League Group E
FC Bayern Muenchen v SL Benfica - UEFA Champions League Group E

#4 Marcos Rojo - Manchester United

Marcos Rojo is an Argentine and currently playing for Manchester United in the Premier League. He switched from Sporting Lisbon to United in a dream come true move in 2014. But he has struggled with injuries ever since.

After coming to England, he has been inconsistent and injuries have always made him suffer. He has thus far been out for 633 days and has missed a total of 93 games for the Red Devils. Currently, he is injury-free but he has lost his place in the starting line-up for United.

Manchester United v Burnley - Premier League
Manchester United v Burnley - Premier League

#3 Thiago Alcântara - Bayern Munich

Thiago, a La-Masia product, made his senior Barcelona debut in 2009. But due to competition from Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi Hernandez, he was not able to get regular minutes in the Blaugrana shirt. He then made a switch to Bayern Munich in 2013.

Since then the midfielder has been an important part of the Bayern side. But injuries have kept him away from playing regularly. He has been away for 644 days of football and has missed 120 games for the German champions. He possesses the qualities to become one of the greatest midfielders but injuries have pulled him back.

Real Madrid v Bayern Muenchen - UEFA Champions League Semi Final Second Leg
Real Madrid v Bayern Muenchen - UEFA Champions League Semi Final Second Leg

#2 Gareth Bale - Real Madrid

Not many know that the lightning-fast Bale started his career as a left-back for Southampton before switching as a forward after moving to Tottenham Hotspurs in 2007. He established himself as the best player for Tottenham and also became a key figure for his country, Wales. Due to this heavyweight performances, he attracted interest from elsewhere and made a switch to Spanish side Real Madrid in 2013 for a then world record fee of €91m.

The Welsh winger is known for his pace and great crossing-ability. But since moving to Madrid he has been injured a lot, and at his peak age where he could have been the best in the world, he had to sit out of matches and wait for his recovery.

Since his move to Los Blancos, he has missed 368 days of football and has also been sidelined for a total of 74 games.

Real Madrid v FC Barcelona - Copa del Rey Semi Final: Second Leg
Real Madrid v FC Barcelona - Copa del Rey Semi Final: Second Leg

#1 Vincent Kompany - Manchester City

The Belgium and Manchester City defender had a great World Cup campaign last summer as his country managed to reach the semi-finals of the showpiece event in Russia. He has been an integral part of Manchester City for over a decade now.

Kompany joined the Citizens in 2008 and has helped the club to win several trophies, including three Premier League titles. However, injury and Kompany have almost become synonymous, owing to his lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Thus far for City, he has missed 856 days of footballing action and has been out of 148 games.

Chelsea v Manchester City - Carabao Cup Final
Chelsea v Manchester City - Carabao Cup Final

Quick Links

Edited by Samya Majumdar