The England manager stated her outlook was “not optimistic” about the knee injury suffered by forward Michelle Agyemang during the Lionesses’ 3-0 win against the Matildas.
The young Arsenal attacker, who is spending the season on loan with Brighton, slammed the Pride Park pitch in agony following a non-contact incident, leading teammates and medical personnel to hurry to her aid. She was carried off on a stretcher, while a worried Wiegman spoke with her as she was transported toward the locker room.
“It was a terrible incident,” said the England manager. “It appears serious. The full extent remains unknown, she requires evaluation, but I’m not feeling very positive.”
The young forward, who departed the stadium using crutches, was substituted 18 minutes after coming on as a substitute for fellow Arsenal player Alessia Russo.
“It is never nice when anyone comes off a stretcher, especially a teammate,” stated fellow striker Aggie Beever-Jones to ITV. “I don’t know what she has done but I’ll be hoping for her full recovery.”
Agyemang’s Recent Impact
Agyemang scored 41 seconds into her England debut during a 3-2 defeat against Belgium in April, just two days after being selected to replace the injured Russo. She secured a spot in Wiegman’s European Championship roster and arrived on the international stage in style during the summer, scoring the critical 81st-minute equaliser against Sweden in the quarter-finals forcing the match into extra time before England won on penalties and the 96th-minute tying goal against Italy in the semi-finals to push the game into extra time once more, this time England securing the win in the 119th minute.
Injury Mars Promising Performance
The injury to Agyemang marred a promising performance from England following their defeat to Brazil on Saturday. However, Wiegman was frustrated by Alanna Kennedy’s early red card for Australia because it meant England did not quite get the test they had wanted.
“It was unfortunate, but those are the regulations,” she said. “In qualification matches it doesn’t matter but in a friendly you want to play 11 v 11 as that provides the most challenges. We tried to adapt straight away, they defended deeper making spaces narrower and more congested. We had planned different approaches for the match’s conclusion but unfortunately we had some injuries.”
