Leah Williamson to miss start of Arsenal’s WSL season due to knee injury | OneFootball

Arsenal have been dealt a blow before the start of the new Women’s Super League season with Leah Williamson ruled out for several weeks after a procedure on a knee injury sustained in last month’s Euro 2025 final.

The 28-year-old reported back to Arsenal with swelling on her right knee having led her country to a second successive European Championship triumph in Switzerland. After the swelling had come down, tests revealed surgery was required to clear out the joint. Williamson was seen on crutches at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground. The club had feared the defender could be out for months – thankfully for them that has not proved to be the case.

Williamson ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament in the same knee in April 2023, leading to her miss the last World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and being out of action for nine months, though the two injuries are not directly linked.

Arsenal open their WSL season against London City Lionesses at the Emirates Stadium on 6 September. They will going into that fixture on the back of a busy summer, securing Chloe Kelly on a permanent deal following her successful loan spell from Manchester City last season, adding goalkeeper Anneke Borbe from Wolfsburg and signing Liverpool duo Taylor Hinds, a former academy player, and forward Olivia Smith.

Smith joined the club for a world-record fee in July, becoming the first £1m-player in women’s football and she praised the confidence placed in her potential. “It’s such a hefty price tag for such a young player,” said Smith. “I think they see the potential that I have. They see my mindset. I’m hungry, I’m driven, I want to learn, I want to grow, and I want to win things, ultimately. I think that was a big piece. The money? it’s not really a big deal for me.

“At the end of the day, the price tag’s a price tag, it’s not really something I’m focused on, I’m just focused on being on the pitch and learning from a great set of players. It’s also great to see the development of women’s football and that price going up.”

Smith was “on the edge of my seat” watching Arsenal’s Champions League win in May. “It was quite stressful for me, and I wasn’t even on the pitch,” she said. “It was an amazing performance by the girls, and watching it on a screen you could just see the motivation, the drive and the hunger and I knew that was something that I wanted to be a part of. That was also a massive driving factor in me joining, just looking at their mentality and what they’ve achieved in the Champions League.”

Hinds, like Kelly, developed in Arsenal’s academy before leaving for her next opportunity. She watched the Champions League final with her boyfriend while on holiday in Barcelona. “I’ve always had a soft spot for Arsenal from growing up here. So, I was wanting the girls to do well and they did, they proved everyone wrong,” said the 26-year-old

“I’ve enjoyed the journey that I’ve been on and I’m proud of it,” added Hinds as she reflected on her return to Arsenal. “When I first started having conversations and realised I could be back where it all started it was an unbelievable feeling for me and I’m so proud to be here. The hard work doesn’t stop, it continues, and to be in this team with an amazing group of girls and players and staff, I’m pleased for the season to get started.”

Kelly added: “It’s always nice to come back to the club that you grew up playing in the academy of. Your journey goes different ways and then you come back home and it’s nice to be back here at this club. It feels like not much has changed but so much has changed”. On staying motivated after becoming a European champion for club and country, the 27-year-old said: “You just want to go again straight away. We’ve got competitions to win this season that we’re so hungry for, but I think once you taste success, you just want more of it and we’ll continue to do that.”

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