The Association of Growth and Maturation with Injury in Academy Soccer Players: A Narrative Review

We found that (i) early maturing players suffer more soft-tissue injuries than on-time or late maturing players; (ii) more growth-related injuries occur circa-PHV than pre- or post-PHV, but post-PHV players generally have greater injury risk than circa- or pre-PHV; and (iii) fast growth (stature increase ≥ 7.2 cm per year) increases injury risk in academy footballers. However, all eligible studies demonstrated inherent limitations and none investigated the impact of maturity timing, maturity status or growth rate on injury in female academy players, indicating future research should address these issues.