It felt like it was made of glass - McNally on knee injury

McNally returned to action after 20 months sidelined by a ruptured ACL that required four surgeries; he has now started three of Bristol City's past four league games.

Luke McNally suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in early February 2025 while Bristol City were still managed by Liam Manning. What should have been a nine-to-12-month recovery stretched to 20 months after recurring problems forced him to undergo four surgeries in total. During his absence, the club reached the play-offs for the first time in 17 years, changed managers three times, and completely overhauled the squad.

McNally described the mental and physical toll of his injury, saying his knee "felt like it was made of glass" during daily life and that he spent a year "really struggling". He felt isolated despite strong support from team-mates and staff, and credits midfielder Joe Williams with helping him maintain motivation through rehabilitation, including a joint recovery stint in Portugal over the summer.

He made an unofficial return in a friendly against Crystal Palace at the start of the month, scoring a goal, and has since started three of Bristol City's past four Championship games under manager Michael Skubala, playing the full 90 minutes in each. "I couldn't be happier where I'm sitting at the minute from where I was," McNally said.