Arsenal suffer second major injury blow; title challenge under threat

Arsenal's WSL title challenge and their Women's Champions League knockout stage prospects suffered a major blow on Thursday after key player Vivianne Miedema was stretchered off. The Dutch striker was clutching her knee and in tears as she left the field, leaving the women's team head coach Jonas Eidevall concerned.

It was the women's side's second major injury of the season after losing Beth Mead to a long-term knee injury in November. The England international limped off during Arsenal's 3-2 loss to Manchester United with the club later confirming that the Women's Euro 2022 winner had ruptured her ACL.

The pair have been Arsenal's most prolific in front of goal in the past year, which will be a major blow for Eidevall going into the second-half of the campaign. Mead is expected to be out at least until July after undergoing surgery earlier this week, while the extent of Miedema's injury is still unclear.

The Netherlands international, who only returned last month after a coordinated break from club and international football, went down at the stroke of half-time. Miedema was unable to walk off the field and needed the stretcher, indicating that it is potentially a season-ending injury.

Eidevall was concerned about his star player after the game, but was unable to provide a clear update. The Swede, who saw his team lose to Lyon at the Emirates Stadium, admitted that it was hard to fully focus on the game after seeing one his key players suffer such a severe blow.

"I don't know yet, I haven't spoken to her or the doctors. Right now it takes a lot of my thoughts, I am very concerned over it of course," the Arsenal manager told a press conference.

"But we had to stay focused during the game and focus on our performance. I am sorry, I don't have any update."

As Miedema was taken away in tears, Mead was present on the touch line on crutches awaiting her girlfriend. The manner in which the Arsenal forward went down indicates that it could be similar to her partner's ACL injury, which will rule the Dutch forward out until almost the end of next year.