Arsenal defender Leah Williamson will be out until at least the New Year with a “significant hamstring injury.” The 24-year-old hobbled off the pitch after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham and scans have subsequently revealed that she has suffered a big hamstring problem.
An Arsenal statement read, “Following Saturday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur, Leah Williamson experienced discomfort in her hamstring. Subsequent assessments and scans have confirmed that Leah has suffered a significant hamstring injury. Further consultations and assessments will take place, with Leah’s recovery and rehabilitation programme also being determined in the coming days. Everyone at the club will now be supporting and working hard with Leah to get her back on the pitch as soon as possible.”
Arseblog News spoke to Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall about the injury during his pre HB Koge press conference and he said, “She is having more examinations on the hamstring today to see the extent but it all indicates a significant injury but it’s possible that she will be out for the rest of the year and won’t be able to return before Christmas.”
Eidevall said that Arsenal’s tight schedule in recent weeks could well have played its part in the injury but insists that every muscle injury should be a learning curve for clubs, “It’s a muscle injury, so it is an overload issue. But there are so many factors that go into an injury. I spoke before about how we could have a really nice co-operation with the Dutch FA so we could rest Viv after a tough Olympic tournament, like Leah had.
“Those are the things we need to work on at so many levels with the players’ wellbeing the first consideration. We need to look at playing schedule and how we load them both for the club and the national team, we need to see any injury from this perspective. I’m very much a fan of looking at injuries as black box scenarios, they are things we can learn from.
“We need to look at what could have been done differently. It could be scheduling, it could be co-operation with the national team, it could be how we load players internally at the club.”
When asked how much she will be missed, Eidevall responded, “Leah has been a brilliant player for us this season but we have a strong squad, I have big belief in all of the players that I have here and I am confident that we will work hard as a team to work as a collective starting tomorrow.”
Jen is still recovering and now Leah is injured, Simone is lucky because she is still able to play at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, I don’t know what she brought to Arsenal apart from being injury prone, I’d rather say her arrival is more of a nostalgia factor in the past with the coach, with the players left at the moment I prefer Lotte partnering with Lia/Anna.
Fuck 🙁
Without Leah, I’m worried about a lack of pace at the centre of our defence. Lotte does take a few steps to get up to speed but then she’s deceptively fast. She’s now a good reader of the game and so I think she has to be a first choice. Jen and Simone do worry me when up against quicker opponents. I’d seriously consider using Lia in this position. She filled in a few times last season at CB where she did pretty well, and also demonstrated how useful her two-footedness can be.
Yeah think it will always be Lotte + 1 here with Simone and Jen swapping the other position. Not sure Viki, Jen or Simone are capable of more than a game a week atm.
With an F.A cup final coming up, that’s terrible news.
And the Barca home game, her dynamism would have given us a bloody good chance of taking the points. She is a fundamental part of the team.
Any chance we can bring Lisa back and have Anna or Lia play in Leah’s position?
Ouch. Get well soon Leah!
Best wishes for your complete recovery Leah.
Another thought to the replacement permutations. Frida for Leah alongside Lotte?
Fida has great physical presence, can head, tackle her long range passing has been excellent and she carries the ball with pace. I accept that it is unlikely that two of the younger members of the squad would be entrusted with such a key combination against the likes of Chelski and Barcelona but could be worth a shot against Leicester.