England defender Lucy Bronze has called for alterations to the women’s football calendar to ease the physical demands on the players.
Bronze, speaking ahead of England’s European Championship qualifiers against Sweden and Republic of Ireland, echoed the comments of a number of teammates and managers, who have raised concerns over whether the schedule is contributing to long-term injuries.
England captain Leah Williamson has just returned into the squad following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and there has been a spate of similar injuries in the women’s game.
“Obviously, the demands are getting higher,” Bronze says.
“I think even when I was at Lyon it was quite hard for me personally. I had two days off from the Champions League final and went straight into World Cup preparations. So it’s not something that I’m not used to.
“For me, personally, I’m part of FIFA Pro and I have joined discussions, along with Sarina (Wiegman, England manager) with FIFA and UEFA, but ultimately, it’s down to them to help programme the calendar better, not just for the good of the game, but the wellness of the players involved.
“There is a lot of back and forth. Everyone has their different opinions, everybody has their way of wanting to work, but I think, hopefully, there are ideas that people can come up with to maybe alter a few things.
“I think a few alterations could make a huge difference for the players especially.”
