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Football is one of the most physical contact sports in the world and injuries are very common in the sport. Often, footballers spend long spells on the sidelines with different kinds of injuries sustained during matches. Sometimes, players pick up injuries during training sessions between matches or suffer freak injuries away from the sport.
All in all, it is a given that footballers pick up injuries on a regular basis in their careers. Some players, however, suffer from the effects of injuries more than others due to their being injury prone, and this has hindered them from playing at their best.
A number of players have seen their promising careers fizzle out after suffering a series of unfortunate injuries. With this in mind, here is a list of the five most injured players in the 21st century, according to data collected by skores.com.
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#5 Thomas Vermaelen (1366 days)
Former Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen plies his trade in the J-League these days with Vissel Kobe alongside Spanish legend Andres Iniesta. The 36-year-old Belgium international enjoyed the best days of his career as an Arsenal player between 2009 and 2014, where he made 150 appearances.
The left-footed defender was nicknamed the Verminator by the Arsenal faithful for his quality on the pitch and ability to find the net. In his first season at the club, he scored eight goals in 45 appearances for Arsenal as he turned out consistently for them. Vermaelen's injury woes started in the 2010-11 season after he suffered an achilles injury in the first international break of the season. He played only five games for Arsenal in the entire season.
Vermaelen moved to Barcelona in the summer of 2014 and only made his debut on the final day of the season for the Spanish giants. The experienced defender has missed a total of 1366 days of football through injury, suffering a total of 35 injuries in his career.
#4 Vincent Kompany (1419 days)
Vincent Kompany is regarded as one of the finest centre-backs to have graced the English Premier League. The 35-year-old is currently the manager of his boyhood club in Belgium's RSC Anderlecht after retiring from professional football.
Kompany started his professional career at Anderlecht before moving to Hamburg in 2006 as a 20-year-old. In his debut campaign, an achilles injury limited him to just six starts for the German side. Kompany's injury woes really started in 2015 as he suffered a series of recurring muscular strains that kept him out of action for long spells at a time.
The legendary Manchester City defender has a statue of himself outside the club's Etihad Stadium for his brilliant contribution to the club. Kompany missed a total of 1419 days through injury as he picked up 31 different injuries during his playing days.
#3 Jack Wilshere (1470 days)
Regarded by many as the most technically gifted English midfielder of his generation, Jack Wilshere was the proper definition of a wonder-kid. The midfielder made his Premier League debut aged 16 in the 2008-09 season for Arsenal before signing a professional contract at the club.
Now 30 years old, Jack Wilshere is currently unattached and training with Arsenal in a bid to keep fit in the hopes of securing a contract with another club. The midfielder has played in less than 50 matches since leaving Arsenal permanently in 2018.
Wilshere's injury problems started in the summer of 2011 when he suffered a stress ankle fracture in a preseason match against the New York Red Bulls. The injury kept him out of action for 17 months, and proved to be the beginning of his woes.
Since making his professional bow, Wilshere has suffered 18 injuries and missed 1,470 days of action. The midfielder has seen his career stagnate as a result of his recurrent injury problems.
#2 Arjen Robben (1507 days)
Arjen Robben had a largely successful career for club and country before his retirement in 2021 at 37 years of age. The winger was one of the best right wingers in the world in his prime, and won titles everywhere he played.
Robben was known for his ability to breeze past defenders with his pace and skills, as well as his ability to find the net with his wand of a left foot. The winger played for Real Madrid, Chelsea and Bayern Munich before his retirement as an FC Groningen player.
Robben suffered a good number of niggling injuries in his career that caused him to miss a total of 1507 days of action. The wing wizard suffered a total of 58 different injuries in throughout his playing career. Despite his injury problems, Robben had a remarkable career and is remembered as one of the Dutch greats.
#1 Abou Diaby (1747 days)
Former Arsenal and France midfielder Abou Diaby is another "what could have been?" kind of player after injuries derailed his career. The midfielder started his playing career in his native France and was a highly-rated youngster.
Diaby moved to the English Premier League in January 2006 and suffered what was described as a career-ending injury in May against Sunderland. Sunderland defender Dan Smith caught him late, resulting in a severe ankle fracture for the youngster. Diaby had to undergo three surgeries and miss eight months of action before he returned. The midfielder suffered a good number of long-term injuries at Arsenal before he was eventually released in 2015. The Frenchman moved to Olympique Marseille after his release, but managed only six appearances before retiring in 2019 aged 32.
Diaby only made 214 appearances in his professional career and missed a total of 1747 days of action with injury. He suffered 21 different injuries in his career before his retirement.
