#062 Return to performance pathway with Andrew Mitchell

In this episode of the Women’s Football Hub Podcast, Carolyn Kent sits down with Andrew Mitchell, an experienced sports physiotherapist who has worked with RB Leipzig and co-authored the 2024 paper A Return to Performance Pathway for Professional Soccer: A Criteria-Based Approach.

Together, they explore the full rehabilitation journey: from the first 24–48 hours post-injury through gym-based phases, running criteria, and high-speed return-to-play drills. Andrew also explains why return to performance is not the same as return to play, and how criteria-based progression can take the guesswork out of rehab.

Listeners will learn about:

• Diagnosis and planning in the acute phase

• Supplementary criteria for safe progression

• Gym phase 1 (foundations) and gym phase 2 (reconditioning)

• Return-to-running benchmarks

• How to adapt elite protocols to resource-limited settings

• The critical role of trust, communication, and psychological readiness

This episode is essential listening for physiotherapists, coaches, and practitioners supporting injured players on their journey back to performance.

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