Belgium were one of the favorites to win the Euro 2020 tournament that is currently underway, but a quarterfinals defeat to Italy on Friday saw them exit the tournament sooner than expected. One of the biggest reasons Belgium’s run ended early was because of injuries to some of their best players, including midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. According to De Bruyne, he played in the quarterfinal game despite dealing with ligament tears in his left ankle.
If you take a look at the injury that knocked him out of the final game of Group Stage play, it’s surprising that De Bruyne was able to even able to walk, let alone join his team on the pitch against Italy. As you’ll see in the clip below, De Bruyne’s left ankle is turned forcefully when a defender challenges him from behind. This play forced him out of the game against Portugal, but he was determined to join his team in the Knockout Round against Italy.
After the game, De Bruyne said he wanted to be out there for his country in spite of his discomfort.
“It was a miracle that I played today because there was definitely damage to my ankle. A tear in my ligaments. But I felt responsibility to play for my country today. Too bad I couldn’t do more,” he said in comments to UEFA.com.
Dr. Silverman Comments
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Kevin De Bruyne. Memorial Day weekend saw him leave the Champion’s League final with a nose and orbital bone fracture that required surgery, and now he’s dealing with ligament tears in his ankle. Given the extended season for the teams he plays on, he also doesn’t have much time before the Premier League kicks off in August, meaning he won’t have a lot of time to recover before the season starts.
I understand De Bruyne’s desire to be out there to represent his country in the European Championships, but he really needs to give his body the time it needs to heal before he returns to the pitch. A facial injury is one thing, but ankle ligament tears for a top flight soccer player is a whole different animal. If he doesn’t ensure the ligaments are restrengthened, he could be at risk for more ankle sprains and continued ankle ligament damage. And it won’t take a tackle form behind in order for this damage to occur.
When the ankle ligaments are damaged, they cannot provide adequate support for the ankle joint, meaning it takes less trauma or pressure to the ankle for it to sprain and turn. We’ve seen it with Steph Curry in the NBA, and De Bruyne could follow suit if he doesn’t take the time to really help strengthen these ankle ligaments. Even if he doesn’t need surgery, he needs to give his ankle ligaments plenty of time to not only heal, but become stronger than they were before. If that drifts into the start of the Premier League season, so be it. Manchester City will need him later in the season, and if they rush him back too quickly, he may not be as efficient or he could be at a heightened risk of re-injury.
Both De Bruyne and Manchester City need to be smart about how they handle this injury. The ankles are incredibly important for professional soccer players, and one wrongly managed injury can spell disaster. Hopefully De Bruyne takes his time and doesn’t come back until he’s fully fit.