Reid Setback For Arsenal Highlights Mounting Concern Over Acl Injuries

On Monday, 2 days earlier their Allianz Arena showdown against Bayern Munich successful nan Champions League, Arsenal announced nan devastating news that their centre-back, Katie Reid, had sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The 19-year-old, who was pulled guardant to assistance nan Champions League trophy successful beforehand of fans by nan skipper Leah Williamson astatine Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium ceremony successful May, had a meteoric emergence astatine nan commencement to nan season, partnering Steph Catley successful spot of nan injured Williamson, starting galore games up of nan World Cup victor Laia Codina and double European Championship victor Lotte Wubben-Moy.

“It’s ever horrible, particularly for her,” nan manager, Renée Slegers, said. “She started nan play truthful good for us. With her age, really mature she has been, really she’s been successful nan group and really she has grown each azygous day, it is very disappointing for her. It’s very hard. She’s been pinch america successful nan past mates of days and room is planned. She will move guardant from there. She said she will usage this clip to turn arsenic a footballer, which says everything astir Katie.”

Reid is nan 3rd Arsenal subordinate to beryllium sidelined pinch nan semipermanent knee wounded this season. The goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger ruptured her ACL successful training betwixt Arsenal’s opening Champions League fixtures against Lyon and Benfica past month, and connected 30 October it was announced that nan guardant Michelle Agyemang, who was connected indebtedness astatine Brighton, had sustained nan sadistic knee injury, having been taken disconnected connected a stretcher during England’s 3-0 defeat of Australia successful Derby.

The prevalence of ACL injuries successful women’s shot is not caller and is acold from being an Arsenal problem. Liverpool likewise person 3 retired pinch ACL injuries, Marie Höbinger and Sophie Roman Haug some sustaining ACL injuries successful October, joining nan 18-year-old midfielder Zara Shaw who sustained nan aforesaid wounded successful April. Chelsea (Kadeisha Buchanan and Brooke Aspin), Everton (Megan Finnigan and Aurora Galli), Manchester City (Mary Fowler and Mayzee Davies) and Tottenham (Ella Morris and Maite Oroz) each person 2 retired apiece. Brighton person mislaid Agyemang, who has returned to her genitor nine Arsenal for curen and rehab, but are besides without Manuela Vanegas. Aston Villa’s Jill Baijings joined nan ACL nine astatine nan extremity of September.

Michelle Agyemang faces a lengthy spell retired injured aft her knee wounded during England’s lucifer against Australia. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters

It would beryllium incorrect to sound caller siren bells aliases talk of an pandemic of ACL injuries successful women’s football. The reality is that women’s shot has been blighted by ACL injuries for a agelong time. Arsenal’s opponents connected Wednesday, Bayern Munich, are nary strangers to conscionable really devastating nan wounded tin be, pinch nan Germany midfielder Lena Oberdorf sustaining her 2nd ACL wounded connected 20 October, having made conscionable 8 appearances pursuing her return from her erstwhile ACL wounded 2 months before. Oberdorf’s tear came 1 period aft chap midfielder Sarah Zadrazil endured nan aforesaid fate.

“The starting constituent is astir arsenic overmuch consciousness arsenic imaginable connected really we tin forestall these injuries and I deliberation everyone agrees pinch that,” said Slegers, who called clip connected her ain playing profession pursuing an ACL injury. “I cognize nan nine is salient successful these processes connected a wider scale.

“It’s difficult because it’s 1 small infinitesimal and you’re retired for 9 to 12 months and it impacts a player’s career. We request to support connected doing investigation because nan crippled is increasing and changing truthful accelerated and we request to move pinch that change.”

The goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar said: “Obviously nan schedule gets busier, clubs and nations are asking much and much of us, and there’s astir apt location a measurement of reducing nan consequence and I dream for everyone that we tin find that.”

The comments of Slegers and Van Domselaar came aft nan Chelsea midfielder Keira Walsh said connected nan rumor pursuing Reid’s wounded earlier Chelsea’s lucifer against St Polten. Walsh said that those “higher up do request to perceive to what we’re saying arsenic players” connected nan rumor of overloading and underloading, pinch galore emotion lucifer scheduling does not return a holistic capable approach.

On Wednesday night, Arsenal and Bayern will beryllium weaker because of their absentees. For Arsenal, nan nonaccomplishment of Reid and Zinsberger for nan agelong term, added to their short-term losses, is placated by a squad extent that intends a beardown starting XI tin still beryllium fielded. The problem, though, is that pinch nan number of games mounting and less options to rotate nan consequence of further wounded only increases.