Huge Blow For Arsenal & England As Leah Williamson Tears ACL

England’s captain and star defender Leah Williamson will miss this summer’s Women’s World Cup after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Manchester United on Wednesday night.

Huge Blow For Arsenal & England As Leah Williamson Tears ACL
HerSport Editor
HerSport Editor

England’s captain and star defender Leah Williamson will miss this summer’s Women’s World Cup after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Manchester United on Wednesday night.

The 26-year-old, who led the Lionesses to glory at Euro 2022, collapsed to the ground in agony after a seemingly innocuous challenge with Katie Zelem on the halfway line in the 12th minute of the game.

She was able to walk off the pitch with the help of two Arsenal physios, but a scan on Thursday confirmed the worst fears of her club and country: she had torn her ACL, an injury that usually requires at least six months of recovery.

The Women’s World Cup begins in Australia and New Zealand on July 20. England are set to name their squad at the end of next month and it certainly rules her out World Cup.

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It is a devastating blow for Williamson, who has been one of the best centre-backs in the world for several years and has become one of the most recognisable figures in teh game after leading England to Euro success on home soil in 2022.

Williamson has won 67 caps for her country, scoring four goals, and was instrumental in their historic triumph at Euro 2022, where they beat Germany 2-1 in the final. She has also been a key player for Arsenal, helping them win three FA Cups and two WSL titles since making her debut as a 17-year-old in 2014.

Arsenal confirmed the severity of her injury in a statement on Thursday, saying: “Everyone at Arsenal will be supporting Leah closely throughout the journey ahead and we would ask that her privacy is respected at this time.” The club also said she will undergo surgery “in due course”.

Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall blamed the poor quality of the pitch at Leigh Sports Village for Williamson’s injury, saying it was “not good enough” for a top-level game. He said: "It’s very sad for Leah and for us. She’s a fantastic player and person and we will miss her a lot. I don’t know how long she will be out for, but it doesn’t look good. “I think the pitch played a part in it. It was very dry and hard and not good enough for this level of football. It’s not an excuse, but it’s a fact.”

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Eidevall will have to find a replacement for Williamson in his defence as Arsenal chase their first WSL title since 2019. They are currently second in the table, two points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand. Wiegman will also have to rethink her plans for the World Cup, where England are among the favourites to lift the trophy.

Arsenal return to action on Sunday when they face Wolfsburg in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.

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