Arsenal defender undergoes surgery | OneFootball

Laia Codina has been ruled out of Spain’s Euros squad after she was forced to go under the knife following months of problems

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Laia Codina will miss this summer’s UEFA Women’s European Championship after undergoing surgery for a long-standing pelvic injury. The Arsenal defender has been struggling with pubalgia since February and formally withdrew last week from Spain’s squad for the tournament in Switzerland, which runs from 2 July to 27 July.

Codina, who has played just 175 minutes for Arsenal in 2025 and has not started a match since 9 February, confirmed via Instagram that she has had surgery. The decision comes after a series of failed comeback attempts and ongoing discomfort that forced her out of Spain’s Nations League squad.

“We’ve tried everything and I was hoping to be okay, but the body has its limits and it’s time to listen to it,” Codina said. “We have decided, together with the doctors of the club and the national team, to stop and solve the discomfort that I have been having in recent months.”

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On Thursday, she added, “Focus now turns onto getting fully fit and supporting my teammates in the background. It hurts me a lot, but I will continue to support my teammates from outside and with the idea of returning to the pitch soon. Thank you.”

Codina was a key member of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad last summer. Her absence for the Euros is compounded by the loss of Teresa Abelleira, who is recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.

The condition Codina is dealing with, pubalgia, also known as sports hernia, is a chronic and often debilitating groin problem common in footballers. It is characterised by deep, persistent pain in the lower abdomen and pelvic area, often worsened by physical activity. Treatment options range from physiotherapy and rest to surgery, which Codina has now undertaken in an attempt to fully recover.

She has not featured for Arsenal since the 5–0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on 16 February and was last seen in a matchday squad shortly thereafter.