Alex Greenwood's hopes of making it to next summer's European Championship have been dashed after Manchester City confirmed this morning that the Lionesses star had undergone knee surgery.
Greenwood was arguably the Lionesses' player of the tournament at last year's World Cup – her combination of creativity, maturity and defensive intuition was a welcome presence in the backline. She has also worn the lioness bracelet a number of times.
City manager Gareth Taylor had initially said the 'injury was not as serious as first feared', but a statement from the club revealed she required 'a repair to her MCL'.
The club added that it had been a 'successful' procedure, which would see Greenwood return to the city academy to work with medical staff.
Although not typically as serious as the dreaded ACL injury, the time frame for MCL recovery can be between three and nine months.
The defender suffered the injury during City's 2-0 win over St. Polten in the Champions League last week, and City looked weakened without her.
They lost 2-1 at Everton in the WSL on Sunday and were also beaten 3-0 by Barcelona in the Champions League last night, although this did not affect their progress to the quarter-finals.
And with the European Championship starting on July 2, there could be a race against time to ensure the city's captain is fit for the competition in time.
On social media, Greenwood said: “Not the 2024 ending I planned. I will work as hard to get back on the field as soon as possible, for now I will take some time for myself and my family, who always take the time for me. Thank you for all the support this year, see you soon.'
Greenwood has been added to City's growing list of injury problems, with Vivianne Miedema also out with a long-term knee injury and star striker Bunny Shaw ruled out until January. England winger Lauren Hemp is also not expected to return until the new year.
The silver lining lies in the fact that City won't play again until January 12, when they take on third-tier Ipswich Town in the FA Cup, giving them a three-and-a-half week break before the games come thick and once again, fast.
The Lionesses do not play until the end of February, when they take on Portugal and Spain in the Nations League.
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