Brentford defender Rico Henry suffers suspected anterior cruciate ...
Rico Henry has suffered a suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Henry went down awkwardly in the 39th minute of Brentford’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday following a collision with Kieran Trippier. Henry was clutching his left knee in pain and the referee Craig Pawson signalled for a stretcher. However, the 26-year-old was able to get up and walk off the pitch into the dressing room aided by two members of Brentford’s medical staff.
Thomas Frank said after the game Henry would be assessed on Monday and scans have revealed the extent of the damage. The average recovery time for an ACL injury is around eight months which would mean Henry could miss the rest of the season.
This would be the second time Henry has suffered an ACL injury during his career. In September 2017, Henry damaged his right knee in Brentford’s 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough.
Henry did not make another appearance for the club until November 2018.
How big of a blow is this for Brentford and how will they cope?Analysis from The Athletic’s Brentford reporter Jay Harris
This is a huge blow for Brentford.
Henry is the longest-serving player of their current squad and is one of the first names on Frank’s team sheet. Since August 2021, Henry has only missed five top-flight matches. He is an exceptional one-v-one defender and plays an important role in Brentford’s attacks by making overlapping runs on the left wing. Henry’s development over the last two years has led to calls for him to play for England, but he has never been called up by Gareth Southgate.
Full-back is an area of Brentford’s squad which does not have a lot of strength in depth. Aaron Hickey is ambipedal, which means he will switch from right-back to cover Henry on the left. Mads Roerslev, who replaced Henry against Newcastle, or Kristoffer Ajer will play on the right.
Hickey, who started both of Scotland’s matches during the international break, will play a lot of football over the next few months as the only naturally left-footed option. Henry’s absence might even prompt Frank to switch formation and predominantly use 3-5-2 instead of 4-4-3 for extra protection at the back.
Brentford have a few options within their B team including Val Adedokun whose best position is left wing-back. The 20-year-old has never made a senior appearance for the club. Adedokun joined Brentford in August 2021 from Irish side Dundalk.
Analysis from The Athletic’s Sarah Shepherd
My average return to play is about eight months for a pure ACL. It is longer if other structures, such as ligaments and/or menisci are involved, or if complications occur. People talk about six months, but actually, it’s usually a bit longer.
Over the years, we’ve learnt that in the athletic population, an ACL tear is not something that can be dealt with by physiotherapy alone (for others, non-surgical treatment is appropriate). Some ligament injuries, such as those to the MCL (medial collateral ligament) rarely need surgery but in pretty much all cases of ACL rupture in an athlete, they are best treated with a good operation.
After the injury first occurs, you have to get the knee “quiet”, which usually means a week or two of letting it settle down because if you operate shortly after a big trauma, you just add to it and increase the risk of stiffness. During this period, physiotherapy (prehab) is vital. When the person has the knee completely straight and can bend it to about 100 degrees and there’s not much swelling, it’s a good time to operate.
GO DEEPER
What is an ACL tear and how long does it take to recover?
(Photo: Getty Images)
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