Leah Williamson: England captain has ACL rupture confirmed and will miss this summer's World Cup

Leah Williamson has suffered an ACL rupture to her knee, her club Arsenal have confirmed, in a development that will see the England skipper miss this summer's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Williamson went down injured during her club side's 1-0 WSL loss to Manchester United on Wednesday, and looked instantly in pain even if she managed to walk off the pitch.

Ad The 26-year-old, who lifted the European Championships with the Lionesses in 2022, is one of a number of players to have suffered an ACL tear of late, with club mates Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema both currently recovering from the injury. Barclays WSLWilliamson suffers injury scare as Man Utd beat Arsenal to move four points clearYESTERDAY AT 21:05 Arsenal's statement read: «We can confirm that Leah Williamson suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in our Barclays Women’s Super League match against Manchester United on Wednesday night.

»Leah was substituted in the first half of the game at Leigh Sports Village and underwent further assessment on Thursday to determine the extent of the injury. «Leah will now begin a period of rehabilitation and is set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

She will undergo surgery in due course. »Everyone at Arsenal will be supporting Leah closely throughout the journey ahead and we would ask that her privacy is respected at this time." It's already doubtful that Mead will make the World Cup, even despite being months into her recovery from her ACL injury.

If that was enough of a blow for Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman — losing the striker who walked off with the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament award at the Euros — then being without her influential captain is another huge setback. Williamson's