Manchester City and England forward Lauren Hemp has been sidelined for up to three months since undergoing knee surgery in the closing stages of 2024.
The star forward sustained the injury during Manchester City's Women's Super League (WSL) clash against Tottenham Hotspur last November, where her three assists contributed to a dominant 4-0 victory.
Not long after the game, City confirmed that Hemp had undergone minor knee surgery after picking up a concern against Spurs. The injury saw Hemp miss England's November meeting with the U.S. women's national team, in which both nations battled it out for a 0-0 draw at Wembley Stadium.
Hemp will miss out on international duty again, as she was not called up to Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses squad for February’s UEFA Women's Nations League matches against Portugal and Spain.
Manchester City head coach Gareth Taylor provided an update on the injured star, confirming that she is back on the grass and training individually.
"Hopefully when the next window comes [after the international break] they can start to see those players coming back. Lauren is probably a little bit further ahead than Alex [Greenwood]. She was back on pitch last week."
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Hemp has been instrumental for Manchester City over recent seasons, recording two goals and five assists before her injury. Last season, Hemp scored 11 goals and had eight assists in City's second place WSL finish.
The pacey forward has created more chances than any other player in her position, despite not playing since November. With a total of 26 chances, her importance to the City squad remains undeniable.
Now entering the business end of the campaign, City fans will be eagerly awaiting her return to the pitch.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as When Will Lauren Hemp Return for Manchester City?.
