England are sure to miss their captain’s influence and importance after her tournament-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury
Picking over the bones of what Leah Williamson’s anterior cruciate ligament injury means for England feels brutal. Cruel even. Because, in reality, none of it matters. Where Arsenal finish in the league and Champions League doesn’t matter, whether England win the World Cup doesn’t matter. In this moment all that does matter is that a 26-year-old footballer in her prime has had to let short-term dreams die to embark on a mentally and physically bruising journey.
Arguably, such is Williamson’s influence and importance, the absence of the England captain is the difference between England winning the World Cup or not. That is a huge cross to bear in addition to her own personal disappointment. One that will weigh heavy with each mention of her name that will inevitably grace every commentary, match report and analysis in and around the tournament.
Confirmation on Friday that Williamson’s fellow centre-back and vice-captain Millie Bright has avoided an ACL injury will be extremely welcome to Sarina Wiegman. But there must be concern for the England manager that her Chelsea counterpart, Emma Hayes, said Bright would be “out for weeks, I can’t say how many” after having “a bony cartilage lesion” cleaned out of her knee.
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