Arsenal forward Beth Mead is set for an "extended" spell on the sidelines after suffering an ACL injury.
Mead hobbled off during the closing stages of Arsenal's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United on Saturday. The 27-year-old went down after a coming together with United defender Hannah Blundell and the club have now confirmed she has ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament.
The news means the Gunners are likely to be without their talisman until well into the new year, with Mead set to meet with a surgeon later this week. In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, the North London club said: "We can confirm that Beth Mead suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in our match against Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
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"Unfortunately, this means that Beth is set for an extended period on the sidelines. She will see a surgeon in the coming days, after which further details on timescales will be established.
"Everyone at the club will now be supporting Beth and working hard to get her back on the pitch as soon as possible."
Mead, is Arsenal’s joint top goalscorer in all competitions so far this season, with three in the WSL and another two in the Champions League. The Women's Ballon d'Or runner-up will be a huge miss for Eidevall's side as they look to battle Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City for the WSL crown.
Mead's injury will also be a major blow to England boss Sarina Wiegman, with next summer's Women's World Cup on the horizon. The Lionesses play their first Group D match two days later on July 22, meaning Mead will face a race against time to prove her fitness for the tournament, providing the surgery is successful.
The forward has scored 37 goals in 102 appearances for her club and 29 goals in 50 for her country, securing the Euro 2022 golden boot with six goals during the finals. Also winning Player of the Tournament, Mead was a major part of the Lionesses side that won their first-ever major tournament after beating Germany 2-1 at Wembley.
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