Leah Williamson’s World Cup Dreams End with ACL Injury
Leah Williamson ACL Heartbreak: As Leah Williamson becomes the latest women’s footballer to suffer an ACL injury, we look at how players have been affected by ACL injuries.
Anyone who follows women’s football will know that ACL injuries have become worryingly common in the women’s game. Research shows that women are significantly more likely to suffer an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) rupture than their male counterparts and there are various reasons behind this.
England’s Lionesses have now lost their captain, Leah Williamson alongside her club teammate Beth Mead to ACL injuries. Their fellow Arsenal player, Viv Miedema also had her season cruelly ended by the same injury. Williamson went down in a seemingly innocuous incident during their WSL match against Manchester United. Scans revealed that Leah Williamson is the latest player to face a long spell on the sidelines.
Players who have suffered ACL injuries
The list of ACL casualties could be mistaken for a list of Ballon d’Or nominations:
Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas has spent nine months in rehabilitation and missed out on last year’s Euros. Marie Antoinette Katoto, Cat Macario, Ellie Carpenter, Christen Press, Janine Beckie are just a handful of the other elite players who have recently suffered ACL injuries.
England’s Euros winning goalscorer Chloe Kelly overcame an ACL injury to fight her way back into the victorious England squad of the Women’s Euros 2022. England teammate Jordan Nobbs has had a less successful ACL comeback. Nobbs was at the pinnacle of her career when she suffered the painful ACL injury against Everton in 2019. Since the injury, she hasn’t reached that same level, missing out on the GB Olympics squad in 2021 and the Euros in 2022. Nobbs has now started playing more regular games at Aston Villa and could have the opportunity to put the injury heartbreak behind her if she makes the 2023 World Cup squad.
How long does does ACL recovery take?
Players typically spend between 9-12 months in rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction surgery and the psychological effects of the injury can be as severe as the physical ones. The length of rehabilitation can depend on whether there is any additional damage to the ligaments and also the level of medical support they have available. Also, age can have an impact on recovery time, with younger players generally making a quicker comeback.
With important tournaments on the horizon, it can be tempting for players to try and rush back to play but the chance of re-occurence is high, making it a huge risk. Beth Mead is expected to miss the Women’s World Cup 2023, as the tournament will come just too soon for her. Miedema is in the exact same position and the country’s top goalscorer will be a huge miss for Netherlands.
When will Alexia Putellas return?
Alexia Putellas is expected to make a return to play for Barcelona before the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and may have a big part to play in the tournament. Putellas travelled with the Barcelona squad for their UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final against Chelsea. Although she was not names in the squad for the first leg, there is an anticipation that she could make the bench for the second leg at the Camp Nou.