Soccer players are wearing protective masks due to facial injuries. Dr. Farhad Ardesh, a Beverly Hills facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, says that facial injuries in soccer are often underestimated.
Facial Injuries in Soccer
Facial injuries can be caused by collisions with other players, and can result in broken noses, deviated septums, and other problems. Dr. Ardesh says that goalkeepers are particularly at risk because they often collide with players while challenging for saves.
England’s Djed Spence, Austria’s Stefan Posch, and Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane have all played with facial protection. Other recent high-profile cases include France’s Kylian Mbappe wearing a mask to protect his broken nose at Euro 2024, and Croatian Josko Gvardiol’s protective mask at the 2022 World Cup.
Treatment and Prevention
Dr. Ardesh says that the goal of treatment is to restore breathing and aesthetics to the nose. He may wait one to two weeks for swelling to subside before resetting the bones, and more definitive surgery may come three to six months later.
While mandatory facial protection is not expected to gain broad acceptance in soccer, optional masks for players recovering from injury may be more practical. Dr. Ardesh says that these masks can help protect the bone and promote healing.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
