England manager Sarina Wiegman has admitted her 'concern' after midfielder Keira Walsh was stretchered off with what she described as a 'horrible' injury in the Lionesses 1-0 win over Denmark at the Women's World Cup on Friday.
The European champions were dominant in the opening half an hour with Walsh at the heart of their best play, but the Barcelona midfielder fell awkwardly after 35 minutes and was in tears as she was taken off the pitch in obvious pain.
"I've done my knee," Walsh was seen saying as she was consoled by team-mates and England were not the same side after she went off.
The Lionesses held on for a 1-0 win, which was secured thanks to Lauren James' early strike, but Walsh's injury took the shine off the victory.
"Of course I’m concerned because she (Walsh) couldn't walk off the pitch, but we don't know yet [how bad the injury is], so we can't take any assumptions," Wiegman told BBC Sport after the match. "Let’s just wait until we really have a diagnosis and then we can tell you."
And she added: "It did look serious, if you can't walk off the pitch it's serious but I don't know yet. During the game you just have to move on, however horrible it is for her.
"Now it's time to look at how she is and what the next steps are. It was very clear that she needed to be subbed. That’s not nice."
Walsh later reappeared on crutches, but the midfielder seems unlikely to play any further part in this tournament.
Despite winning both of their matches, England are not yet guaranteed a place in the knockout stages.
A point against China in their final Group D game will secure progress and see them win the sector, but they will need to adapt without Walsh.
Former England forward Ellen White, who retired after last year's European Championship win, believes the Lionesses will struggle to replace the midfielder.
"(At the 2022 Euros) everything came through Keira," she wrote on the BBC. "There wasn't a Plan B.
"I dreaded to think of the idea of us ever losing her because she was one of our best players. Beth Mead was scoring all the goals but all of our play came through Keira.
"She was the key cog, everything moved through her. I just don't know who England are going to have now in that six, or even potential double six, role."
An update on Walsh's injury is not expected until Saturday.
