England captain Leah Williamson will miss the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
In a devastating blow to the Lionesses, the Arsenal centre-half has suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury, after going off in the first half of Wednesday's 1-0 defeat Man Utd. Williamson joins Arsenal teammate and fellow England international Beth Mead on the sidelines, although Mead may still recover in time for the tournament.
It is the latest devastating injury blow for WSL title contenders, who also are without Vivianne Miedema for the rest of the season with a similar injury and captain Kim Little.
An Arsenal statement read: "We can confirm that Leah Williamson suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in our Barclays Women’s Super League match against Manchester United on Wednesday night.
"Leah was substituted in the first half of the game at Leigh Sports Village and underwent further assessment on Thursday to determine the extent of the injury.
"Leah will now begin a period of rehabilitation and is set for an extended spell on the sidelines. She will undergo surgery in due course.
"Everyone at Arsenal will be supporting Leah closely throughout the journey ahead and we would ask that her privacy is respected at this time."
Williamson released at statement via social media, stating: "Until I have the words to express my feelings properly I will struggle to verbalise them. The noise around the situation is loud and I need some quiet to let is all sink in.
"Unfortunately the World Cup and Champions League dream is over for me and everyone will think that's the main focus, but it's the day to day of what I'm about to go through that is the most draining of my thoughts."
Arsenal are only days away from a Champions League semi-final first leg with Wolfsburg but Jonas Eidevall must now find alternative solutions, with growing selection headaches. On an international level, England must now try to win the World Cup without their captain and one of their most consistent players over the last year.
Manager Sarina Wiegman could now face big problems in defence this summer over in Australia. Chelsea defender Millie Bright, who partnered Williamson at every game during Euro 2022, is also currently out injured, although not thought to be a doubt for the tournament at this stage.
England may have to turn to Alex Greenwood, Jess Carter, Lotte Wubben-Moy or Esme Morgan to fill in at centre-back. Steph Houghton's chances of a recall may have also improved due to Williamson's injury misfortune, with the Man City defender saying earlier this month she wanted "closure" on her international career.
NEW! Our Year: European Champions 2022 - The Official England Winners Book
With a foreword by England manager Sarina Wiegman, this is the only official book of the historic triumph, reliving every kick of a thrilling tournament and telling the stories of the players who made it all happen.
Order from https://reachsportshop.com/book/our-year-european-champion-2022/
