Leah Williamson to miss start of Arsenal's season after knee surgery
The injury was to the same knee (right) that she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to in April 2023, but is a separate issue.
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The 28-year-old reported back to Arsenal for pre-season with swelling to the knee which took time to settle, so underwent a procedure to clean the knee which was successful.
Arsenal's pre-season preparations for the 2025-26 began with a behind-closed-doors friendly against Frankfurt at Adidas HQ last week, and ramps up this weekend with a match against Tottenham Hotspur at Meadow Park on Saturday, August 23.
Their first WSL game of the season is at Emirates Stadium against London City Lionesses on September 6.
Looking at short-term solutions, head coach Renee Slegers will most likely look to Lotte Wubben-Moy to step up in Williamson's absence.
The 26-year-old was Arsenal's player of the season in the 2023-24 campaign, but struggled for game time when Slegers settled on a centre-back partnership of Williamson and the left-footed Steph Catley.
Even so, Wubben-Moy signed a new contract with Arsenal this summer and has previously shown that she has the defensive qualities to excel against the WSL's best attackers.
As for Williamson and what her potential return could look like, her availability has been strong since returning from her ACL injury during the 2023-24 season. Vice-captain at Arsenal, she started 17 of 22 Women's Super League games last season.
Last season, she also spoke about being smarter about how she uses her body to ensure she is available more often going forward.
'(Prioritising her own needs) can come out in loads of different ways,' she said. 'Looking after yourself instead of going on the pitch when you're unwell or injured, for example. Instead of feeling like I need to do it for the club, if I'm the best version of myself, then the club gets more out of me, rather than if I try and die on the sword.
'It's the mentality of: the better I am, the more they get out of me, instead of bleeding myself dry trying to be the hero.'
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