Vivianne Miedema of Arsenal has stated that she has ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament and has withdrawn from the Women’s World Cup.

After falling awkwardly during Thursday’s Champions League match against Lyon, the Dutch striker has carried off the field in tears on a stretcher.

Miedema wrote on Twitter, “Absolutely devastated to report I ruptured my ACL in our last game against Lyon.” “It was one of those instances in which I knew immediately. So many things are running through your mind: I won’t be able to help my team this season, there will be no World Cup, I’ll need surgery and rehab for a long period, etc.

“I won’t tell you that I’ll return stronger or that I’m eager to spend the next however many months at the gym. It will be challenging, and there will be many unpleasant days (plenty of sobbing, which we’ve already experienced in abundance), but such is the nature of football.

Australia and New Zealand will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup from 20 July to 20 August. The injury to Miedema is a major setback for the Netherlands, who finished second in the 2019 World Cup in France.

Arsenal stated in a statement that the 26-year-old would undergo surgery in the following days and be sidelined for an “extensive length of time.” “Once the operation is complete, a more precise schedule will be determined,” the club stated.

Miedema is the second Arsenal player to suffer the same injury in a month, following Beth Mead, her teammate and off-field girlfriend, who is also out for the season.

As was the case with Mead, Miedema’s absence will be a significant blow to Arsenal, who are second in the Women’s Super League during the Christmas break. Miedema has played for Arsenal since 2017 and is the all-time leading scorer in the Women’s Super League.