'governing Bodies Must Listen Over Acl Injuries'

Governing bodies must "listen to nan players" astir nan congested fixture schedule, says England midfielder Keira Walsh aft Arsenal defender Katie Reid was ruled retired for play pinch a knee injury.

Reid, 19, tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) successful training past week.

She is nan seventh player, including England guardant Michelle Agyemang, to suffer an ACL wounded since nan commencement of nan Women's Super League (WSL) season.

"Maybe sometimes we do play excessively galore games successful a congested fixture schedule. There's not capable betterment time," said Chelsea's Walsh.

"You tin do nan research, but yet you request to perceive to nan ones going done it and really we tin champion find nan solutions."

Arsenal, who won nan Champions League past season, played 58 matches successful each competitions - compared to 52 nan erstwhile season.

Alessia Russo and Beth Mead played a further six games arsenic England won Euro 2025 successful Switzerland.

Research suggests female players are 2 to six times much apt to suffer ACL injuries than males.

"Sometimes arsenic players you do interest astir it," said Walsh.

"It's a difficult one. You still want to play those games. You still want to play week in, week retired and connected nan large occasions.

"But sometimes group higher up do request to perceive to what we're saying arsenic players."

WSL Football organises fixtures successful nan WSL, Uefa is responsible for nan Women's Champions League and European Championships, and Fifa oversees nan World Cup.

Fixture congestion is besides an rumor successful men's football.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri said past September - soon earlier suffering a season-ending ACL wounded - that players were adjacent to going connected onslaught successful protest.

Later that period Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber described nan schedule arsenic "dangerous" and said it was a "big topic" successful nan dressing room.