Five Injury-Prone Players Who Overcame Injuries and Successfully Redefined Their Careers

Injury is the silent assassin of football dreams. No amount of video analysis can prepare a player for the moment a hamstring twinges or a knee buckles, instantly erasing rhythm, confidence and, in the worst cases, entire careers. Yet for a select few, the label “injury-prone” became a temporary chapter rather than a final verdict. These five men stared down repeated physical setbacks, stayed on the pitch long enough for their talent to speak, and ultimately collected the sport’s biggest prizes.

Vincent Kompany’s story at Manchester City is one of resilience wearing an armband. Between 2016 and 2019, calf and shin complaints cost him roughly two and a half seasons, raising doubts about whether the captain could still anchor a back line. Pep Guardiola refused to write him off, and Kompany repaid that faith by starting the run-in that delivered the 2018-19 Premier League title, the FA Cup and the domestic treble. He departed the Etihad with medals, not sympathy, proving that availability at the right moments can still define a legacy.

Arjen Robben’s nickname, “the glass man,” followed him from Chelsea to Real Madrid, where ankle and muscle issues limited him to 50 games in two seasons. Bayern Munich gambled anyway, and the Dutchman responded with 309 competitive appearances across a decade, averaging 31 matches a season. The crowning moment arrived in the 2013 Champions League final at Wembley, where his late winner against Borussia Dortmund completed Bayern’s historic treble and shattered the myth that he could not be relied upon.

Gareth Bale’s injury log at Real Madrid eventually topped 100 missed games, yet the Welshman delivered when it mattered most. His brace off the bench in the 2018 Champions League final against Liverpool sealed a 3-1 victory and a third consecutive European crown for Los Blancos. Five Champions League titles, three La Liga trophies and a Copa del Rey later, Bale’s legacy is measured in moments rather than minutes.

Robin van Persie’s eight Arsenal years were punctuated by more than 150 injury-induced absences, but the striker’s move to Manchester United coincided with an unprecedented run of health. He started 35 of 38 league matches in 2012-13, scored 26 goals, claimed the Golden Boot and fired Sir Alex Ferguson’s final side to the Premier League title. Three seasons at Old Trafford yielded 58 goals and a Community Shield, transforming a fragile reputation into champion status.

Ronaldo Nazário’s case remains the gold standard for comebacks. A partial patellar tendon tear in 1999 and a complete rupture in 2000 sidelined him for 524 days, threatening to end a career that had already produced a Ballon d’Or by age 21. Instead, the Brazilian roared back at the 2002 World Cup, scoring eight goals and both finalists’ strikes against Germany to secure Brazil’s fifth world title. Subsequent success at Real Madrid—104 goals and two La Liga crowns—cemented his place among the game’s immortals.

Ousmane Dembélé provides the most current proof that the narrative can still flip. After missing 141 games at Barcelona, the French forward moved to Paris Saint-Germain and, under Luis Enrique’s careful minutes management, enjoyed a sustained run of fitness in 2024-25. He finished Ligue 1 top scorer with 21 goals, helped PSG complete a treble including the Champions League, and capped the campaign by claiming the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or. The cycle that once defined him now belongs to his past.

These five careers underscore a simple truth: injury-prone is sometimes a phase, not a prophecy. When talent meets persistence and a sliver of good timing, the ending can still be written in silverware.