Keira Walsh to overlook England’s subsequent sport on the Women’s World Cup however scans present no ACL harm

SYDNEY (AP) – After concern that Keira Walsh’s Women’s World Cup was over due to a knee harm, the England midfielder has sparked hope she might play once more on the match after scans revealed she has not suffered ACL harm.

Walsh has been dominated out of England’s remaining group sport towards China. But there may be hope she’s going to be capable to get better for the knockout phases.

“Following a scan late on Saturday afternoon, we can confirm Keira Walsh has not suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury,” the English Football Association stated. “Her knee injury will continue to be assessed by England medical staff and no further update will be provided at this stage.”

Walsh’s knee harm within the Lionesses’ 1-0 win towards Denmark on Friday left a gap within the coronary heart of the midfield.

Walsh – thought-about the conductor throughout England’s European Championship triumph final 12 months – needed to depart the sphere in Sydney on a stretcher and later exited the stadium on crutches.

At the Euros, “everything came through Keira. There wasn’t a Plan B,” England’s all-time main scorer Ellen White stated in her position as an analyst for the BBC. “I dreaded to consider the concept of us ever shedding her as a result of she was one in all our greatest gamers. Beth Mead was scoring all of the objectives however all of our play got here via Keira.

“She was the key cog, everything moved through her.”

Walsh joined Barcelona from Manchester City after the Euros for a reported document price of 400,000 kilos ($513,000). Her departure from the sport towards Denmark, with England main 1-0 and on prime, was rapidly felt and indicated simply how large a loss she may very well be to teach Sarina Wiegman.

Denmark grew into the sport, ended the stronger group and missed out on a late equalizer when substitute Amalie Vangsgaard headed towards the put up.

“I feel a little bit sorry for England that they lost Keira Walsh,” Denmark coach Lars Sondergaard stated. “We hope it is not as bad as it looked, but of course that could also be a reason why we came back into the game – that she was not there.”

Walsh might not be as spectacular as somebody like a Sam Kerr, who was dominated out of Australia’s opening two video games with a calf harm, however she is taken into account simply as important to her group’s ambitions.

Little shock, then, that Wiegman appeared so downbeat when questioned in regards to the harm.

“Of course I’m concerned. She couldn’t walk off the pitch,” she stated earlier than curtly responding to White’s declare that there was no backup plan in place on the Euros.

“You saw what we did. (Georgia) Stanway dropped back and Laura (Coombs) came in,” she stated.

Whether that may be a long-term repair is unsure, given how shut Denmark went to incomes a draw and England’s failure to construct on the promising begin it made when Lauren James opened the scoring after six minutes.

England’s World Cup preparations have been already disrupted by accidents to Beth Mead, Fran Kirby and Leah Wiliamson, however Walsh may very well be the largest lack of all.

She is the hyperlink between protection and assault and there’s no apparent substitute for her. She can direct England’s ahead strikes together with her imaginative and prescient and passing and in addition she operates as a protecting display for her defenders.

Without her, England did sufficient to seal its second slim win of the match and transfer to the brink of advancing to the knockout rounds.

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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