Leah Williamson sparks England fears after knee injury in WSL showdown

The England captain, Leah Williamson, was substituted early in Arsenal’s Women’s Super League clash against Manchester United on Wednesday night.

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In scenes that will worry England and Arsenal fans alike, Williamson collapsed in pain in the 12th minute, after appearing to catch her studs in the turf and hurt her knee. The defender immediately signalled to the bench for treatment and while a stretcher was not required, a clearly limping Williamson had to be helped down the tunnel.

Arsenal have not provided any update on the injury, only tweeting: “We’re all thinking of you, @leahcwilliamson.” Even a short-term absence would be a major concern for Jonas Eidevall’s side, who are chasing WSL and Champions League honours with a growing injury list that includes Kim Little and Vivianne Miedema.

Like Miedema, Beth Mead is currently out long-term with an anterior cruciate ligament injury and appears unlikely to be fit for this summer’s Women’s World Cup. The immediate fear among England supporters is that a similar type of injury would rule Williamson out of the tournament, which begins in under 100 days.

This is a developing story. More to follow