Groin injuries in footballers: treatment and rehab

By Geoff Scott, Founder & Senior Physiotherapist, Hauora

By Geoff Scott, Senior Physiotherapist and founder of Hauora. Last updated 14 November 2026.

What is a groin injury in football?

A groin injury in football is pain at the front of the hip, the inner thigh or the lower abdomen, most often coming from the adductor muscles that pull the leg inwards. Kicking, sprinting and changing direction all load the groin heavily. Groin problems often become long-standing if they’re ignored, but most players recover with a structured strengthening programme rather than rest.

Groin pain is one of the injuries that keeps footballers out of the game most often, from the Premier League, where Geoff spent years as Head of Medicine at Tottenham Hotspur, to Sunday league. At our clinic in Primrose Hill we see it in footballers from Camden, St John’s Wood, Belsize Park and across north London, as well as in rugby, hockey and padel players.

Groin injuries in football at a glance

Common: groin injuries account for between 4% and 19% of all time-loss injuries in men’s football. In one professional league, groin pain caused time out for one in five players every season.
Mostly the adductors: around two thirds of groin injuries in professional football are adductor-related.
Often more than one problem: in a specialist groin clinic, 44% of athletes had more than one cause of their pain.
Active rehab works: in a landmark trial, 79% of athletes with long-standing adductor-related groin pain returned to sport pain-free after an active strengthening programme, compared with 13% after passive physiotherapy.
Preventable: a simple programme based on the Copenhagen adduction exercise reduced the risk of groin problems by 41% over a season.

Groin injury symptoms

Pain in the groin or inner thigh when kicking, sprinting, twisting or changing direction
Pain when squeezing your knees together
Stiffness and aching the morning after a game
Pain that warms up and eases during play, then comes back worse afterwards, which is typical of long-standing groin pain
A sudden sharp pain in the inner thigh during a stretch or a long pass, which suggests an acute adductor strain

The different types of groin pain

Groin pain used to be described with confusing labels such as sports hernia, Gilmore’s groin and osteitis pubis. In 2015, international experts agreed a simpler system, known as the Doha agreement, based on where the pain comes from:

Adductor-related: pain and tenderness in the adductor muscles and tendons, and pain when squeezing the legs together. The most common type in football.
Iliopsoas-related: pain from the hip flexor at the front of the hip, often with sprinting and kicking.
Inguinal-related: pain in the region of the inguinal canal, sometimes worse with coughing, sneezing or sit-ups. This is what used to be called a sports hernia.
Pubic-related: pain over the pubic bone where the two sides of the pelvis meet.
Hip-related: pain coming from the hip joint itself, such as a labral tear or hip impingement.
Other causes: including hernias, stress fractures, pain referred from the lower back, and conditions that aren’t musculoskeletal at all.

Getting this right matters because each type is treated differently, and because nearly half of athletes with groin pain have more than one cause.

When groin pain needs a doctor first

See a GP or go to urgent care rather than a physio if you have pain or swelling in a testicle, a fever or feel unwell, a lump in your groin, pain that wakes you at night or is present at rest, or if you can’t put weight on your leg after a fall or collision.

How long does a groin injury take to heal?

An acute adductor strain usually settles within a few weeks with the right rehab, depending on how severe it is. Long-standing groin pain takes longer: in the landmark Danish trial of an active strengthening programme, athletes who had had groin pain for months returned to sport after a median of about 18 weeks. The earlier you deal with groin pain, the shorter the road back.

Groin injury treatment: what actually works

1. Manage your load, don’t stop completely

Cut back the things that load the groin most, such as long passing, shooting, sprinting and sharp changes of direction, while keeping up what doesn’t hurt. Pain during activity should stay mild, around 3 out of 10 or less, and settle by the next morning. Cycling and straight-line jogging often keep your fitness up in the meantime.

2. Strengthen the adductors

Strength is the foundation of groin rehab, and weak adductors are a key risk factor for groin injury. A typical progression looks like this:

Adductor squeezes: squeezing a ball between your knees while lying on your back, holding for 5 to 10 seconds
Side-lying adduction: lifting the bottom leg towards the ceiling with control
Copenhagen adduction: starting with the short-lever version and building to the long-lever version (see below)
Standing cable or band adduction and lateral lunges, moving towards football-specific positions

3. Build hip, trunk and coordination

The successful programme in the Danish trial combined adductor strengthening with work on the muscles that stabilise the pelvis and on coordination. We add hip flexor strengthening for iliopsoas-related pain, and trunk and hip control for everyone.

4. Return to running, kicking and change of direction

Running progresses from straight lines to curves, cutting and agility. Kicking builds from short passes to longer passes, then crossing and shooting. Before returning to matches, you should be able to sprint, change direction and strike a ball with full power without pain, and your adductor strength should match the other side.

5. Injections and surgery, for the few who need them

Most groin injuries don’t need either. A small number of players with long-standing pain that hasn’t responded to a good rehab programme are referred for a specialist opinion, which might include imaging, an injection or, for some inguinal-related pain, surgery.

The Copenhagen adduction exercise: how to prevent groin injuries

In a trial of 652 semi-professional footballers, teams who added a single exercise, the Copenhagen adduction, three times a week in pre-season and once a week during the season reduced their risk of groin problems by 41%. Most players needed less than five minutes to do it.

Lie on your side with your top leg resting on a bench, or held by a partner, and your bottom leg underneath
Prop yourself up on your forearm, keeping your body in a straight line
Push down with your top leg to lift your hips, bringing your bottom leg up to meet the bench
Lower slowly and repeat
Start with the support under your knee (short lever) and progress to under your ankle (long lever)

When to see a physio about groin pain

Book an assessment if groin pain has lasted more than a couple of weeks, if it keeps coming back after games, if it’s stopping you kicking or sprinting, or if you’ve had a sudden strain and want to get back quickly. Groin pain that’s been ignored for months is much harder to fix than groin pain dealt with early. You can read more on our hip pain and sports injuries pages.

How we treat groin injuries at Hauora

Your 45-minute assessment (£155) uses the Doha agreement approach to work out where your pain is coming from, including checking the hip joint and screening for anything that needs a doctor. We measure your adductor strength on each side and look at your training load and match schedule. You leave with a clear diagnosis, a load plan and a progressive strengthening programme, and we take you through running, kicking and change of direction before you return. If you need imaging or a specialist opinion, we’ll arrange the right referral. You’ll be seen by Geoff Scott or Jason Oliveira, both senior physiotherapists with elite-sport backgrounds.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a groin strain take to heal?

An acute adductor strain usually settles within a few weeks with the right rehab. Long-standing groin pain takes longer, often several months, which is why it’s worth dealing with groin pain early.

Can I keep playing football with a groin strain?

Sometimes, at a reduced level, if the pain stays mild and settles by the next morning. Playing through sharp or worsening pain usually turns a short-term problem into a long-standing one, so get it assessed.

What is the Copenhagen adduction exercise?

It’s a side-plank exercise with your top leg supported on a bench, where you lift your body using your inner thigh muscles. A programme based on it reduced the risk of groin problems in footballers by 41%.

Is my groin pain a sports hernia?

Possibly, but it’s more often adductor-related. What used to be called a sports hernia is now called inguinal-related groin pain and is usually felt around the inguinal canal, sometimes worse with coughing or sit-ups. A lump in the groin suggests a true hernia and needs a doctor.

Do I need a scan for groin pain?

Usually not at first. Groin pain is diagnosed mainly by examination. A scan helps if symptoms don’t respond to rehab, or if a hip joint problem, hernia or stress fracture is suspected.

How do footballers prevent groin injuries?

Regular adductor strengthening, especially the Copenhagen adduction exercise, sensible increases in training load, and a proper warm-up. Building up gradually in pre-season, when groin problems often start, matters too.

Groin injury physio in Primrose Hill, St John’s Wood and Belsize Park

If groin pain is affecting your football, book an assessment at Hauora, an independent physiotherapy clinic at 44 Gloucester Avenue, Primrose Hill, London NW1 8JD. We’re close to Chalk Farm and Camden Town stations and easy to reach from St John’s Wood, Belsize Park, Swiss Cottage, Hampstead, Regent’s Park, Marylebone, Kentish Town and Maida Vale. Book online at hauora.com/book or call 020 4541 8924.

Finding us: Hauora is based inside the At The Core building, but we’re a separate business from At The Core. We share the building and the phone number, so when you call, please ask for Hauora.

This article is general information, not a diagnosis. If you’re injured or unwell, see a doctor or physiotherapist.