Leah Williamson limps off with injury, which concerns both Arsenal and England

England suffered another major injury scare after their captain Leah Williamson was forced off with an injury just 15 minutes into Arsenal’s Women’s Super League game against Manchester United on Wednesday night.

Three months before the start of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and only four days before Arsenal Women’s Champions League in the semi-final first leg against Wolfsburg, Williamson appeared to be involved in a relatively innocuous incident during the match at Leigh Sports Village when she won the ball from the hosts’ Katie Zelem, but there was almost no contact between the players. .

Williamson’s right foot appeared to get caught on the court surface and she immediately called for help when she hit the grass surface. After being treated on the pitch, Williamson, visibly in discomfort, eventually stood up – prompting a standing ovation from the home and away fans around the stadium – rather than being carried away on a stretcher lying next to her. Her manager Jonas Eidevall hugged her as she left.

The 26-year-old then limped off the pitch and was helped down the tunnel with two people’s arms around her shoulders, including that of her Arsenal team-mate Kim Little, who – on Monday – was ruled out for the rest of the game. season with a hamstring injury.

Williamson played in defensive midfield instead of her usual role at centre-back, specifically to cover Little’s absence as Arsenal’s injury list grows. The north London club are also missing star striker Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema since before Christmas, after both suffered season-ending ACL injuries. Australian Steph Catley was also recently dropped from Eidevall’s squad, although the left-back was fit enough to return to the Arsenal bench on Wednesday.