Whilst the UK government lifts COVID-19 restrictions, the Premier League is continuing with its COVID-19 testing programme. With varying rules across the board, this will no doubt bring some significant challenges for medical teams within the game, particularly around the ethical dilemmas arising out of the need to prioritise player welfare whilst satisfying not only legal requirements but also association protocols. In this edition, an article by Tim Meyer and Monica Duarte provides some insight into the considerations around COVID-19 at this stage of the pandemic.

Amidst the other continued challenges for the game concerning concussion and sudden cardiac arrest comes the very positive news of the return of Christian Eriksen. There is no doubt that we are all thrilled to see his come back with Brentford FC and we would like to congratulate the medical and performance staff involved in his care for providing him with the opportunity to return to playing elite level football.

This edition also shines a light on the introduction of sports dentistry services within the game, marking an exciting development within medical and performance practice. Saul Konviser discusses the importance of preventing dental disease in our academy players in order to maintain elite sporting performance. It also features a unique article from Chris Loxston, FIFA’s Group Leader Football Performance Analysis & Insights, on the ‘The FIFA Football Language’, sharing some invaluable insights for a wide range of members from the MDT.

At the FMPA we are very proud of the progress in the educational content featured across our editions and podcasts. To ensure that we stay informed on updates within football medicine and performance, we are always seeking to develop our partnerships with fellow organisations such as Aspetar, Science and Medicine in Football, BASRAT, among others. As part of our drive to continue developing great content for our editorials and podcasts, we are also looking for football medicine and performance enthusiasts to add to our growing education team. If this role would be of interest, follow the links below for a full description and details on how to apply: https://www.fmpa.co.uk/2022/02/14/interested-part-fmpa-education-team/

Dr Sean Carmody – Editor, Dr Fadi Hassan – FMPA Magazine Editor, Dr. Andrew Shafik – FMPA Magazine Editor

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