Netherlands forward Miedema to miss World Cup after ACL injury

The Netherlands' record goalscorer Vivianne Miedema said she has "no hopes" of playing at this year's Women's World Cup due to the serious knee injury she sustained in December.

The 26-year-old underwent surgery after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament during Arsenal's 1-0 Champions League group-stage defeat to Olympique Lyonnais.

The World Cup will be held in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to Aug. 20. The Netherlands finished runners-up at the 2019 edition in France.

"No hopes. I'm definitely going to miss the World Cup which is a hard one," Miedema told the BBC on Sunday.

"I'm hoping to be back for the beginning of next season. That's my focus right now - I need to be realistic. Recovery is going really well. It's slow but little steps."

Miedema, who has 95 international goals in 115 appearances, was part of the Netherlands side that won the 2017 European Championship on home soil.