Arsenal have been hit with a hammer blow after it was confirmed midfielder Victoria Pelova has suffered a serious knee injury.
Pelova ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee while playing for Holland against Finland earlier this month.
The midfielder will now undergo surgery in the coming days and faces an extended period on the sidelines.
Pelova was one of Arsenal’s best performers last season, but they will now have to cope without her for much of the upcoming campaign.
The Gunners were hit hard by knee injuries the season before last, with England stars Beth Mead and Leah Williamson also damaging their ACLs.
In a statement on Wednesday morning, Arsenal wrote: “We can confirm that Victoria Pelova suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament while playing for the Netherlands against Finland on Tuesday 4 June.
“Victoria was substituted after her knee extended in the 12th minute of the Netherlands’ UEFA Women’s Championship qualifier in Tampere, Finland, and subsequently underwent testing to determine the extent of the injury.
“She will undergo surgery in due course and will be sidelined for an extended period. Everyone at the club will now be supporting Victoria through her recovery and return to action.”
ACL injuries have become a major problem for the women’s game and in April a new three-year project researching them was launched.
The Professional Footballers’ Association, Fifpro, Nike and Leeds Beckett University have joined forces to work on the project in hope they can learn more about the factors causing the rise in ACL injuries.
