A leading doctor has said it is ‘remarkable’ Lucy Bronze was able to play throughout Euro 2025 after the defender revealed she had battled through the tournament with a ‘fractured tibia’.
Bronze was a key member of Sariana Wiegman’s victorious team throughout the competition.
The 33-year-old right back played 598 minutes at the tournament, the fourth most in the England team, playing in each match.
Bronze was substituted in the latter stages of two England group matches, but came through back-to-back 120 minute contests as the Lionesses went to extra-time in the quarters and semi-finals.
She was forced off at half-time in extra time during Sunday’s final, which ended 1-1 before England beat Spain 3-1 on penalties in Basel.
But when asked about the new knee injury she picked up during the game, Bronze disclosed that she had already been playing through far worse.
A doctor has claimed it is ‘remarkable’ Lucy Bronze played at the Euros with a broken leg
Bronze was suggested to have a stress fracture of her tibia, which would have enabled her to play
‘I have actually played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia,’ she told BBC Sport. ‘And then I have hurt my knee on my other leg.
‘That’s why I got a lot of praise from the girls after the Sweden game, as I’ve been in a lot of pain. If that’s what it takes to play for England, that’s what I’ll do. Very painful.’
While confirming she had a fractured tibia, Bronze has not disclosed the full extent of the problem.
Speaking to the BBC, Dr Mark Bowditch, President of the British Orthopaedic Association, said it was ‘remarkable’ Bronze had played so much at Euro 2025 due to the injury.
Bowditch, a consultant knee and sports surgeon, suggested Bronze would likely have been playing with a stress fracture, which would likely have seen pain emerge after matches.
‘Fractures of the tibia range from partial break, such as a stress or fatigue split, through to a complete break and separation,’ Bowditch said.
‘A complete break is the high-energy sudden injury from a fall from a height, twist or direct blow, such as a studs-up tackle. You cannot continue to play on or even walk on a complete break.
‘Stress/fatigue fractures – which is likely to be the type Lucy Bronze has – are low-energy repeated injury and usually seen in athletes or army personnel.
The defender, 33, played the fourth most minutes of any England player at the tournament
England boss Sarina Wiegman admitted they had to manage Bronze injury at the tournament
‘They normally present with pain after activity, rather than a sudden incident.’
Bowditch suggested the England medical team would have had to adjust Bronze’s training to enable her to remain on the pitch during the competition.
‘She probably has had to reduce the amount of training she has done in between games or train in a low weight-bearing environment such as a swimming pool or anti-gravity trainer,’ he added.
‘It’s a great tribute to Dr Ritan Mehta and Lionesses medical team that they have managed to keep Lucy going.’
England boss Wiegman admitted they had attempted to manage Bronze’s injury while at the tournament.
Wiegman had brought off Bronze in the latter stages of group matches against the Netherlands and Wales, where England had held convincing leads to help book their place in the knock-out stage.
