Breaking News: Beth Mead's Inclusion in Arsenal Women's Champions League Qualifier Sends Shockwaves Through Football World
Arsenal Women's Beth Mead is set to make a highly anticipated comeback after a lengthy knee injury absence She missed the World Cup but her return is expected to inspire others Exciting times ahead for WSL with Mead's timely boost
Beth Mead, who suffered an ACL injury in November, will be traveling with Arsenal Women's squad for their Champions League qualifier against Swedish team Linkoping on Wednesday. This marks her return from the injury, making her the first player from Arsenal to do so.
Vivianne Miedema (December), Leah Williamson (April), Laura Wienroither (May), and Teyah Goldie (June) experienced the same unfortunate fate as Mead. Eidevall looks forward to Mead's return as it can motivate others who are still rehabilitating from ACL injuries.
"Beth is now here and she is able to join us on our travels," confirmed Eidevall. "She is the first of our long-term injured players to make a comeback. We are optimistic that this will mark a positive turning point for more players to return as well."
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Jonas Eidevall says Mead is nearing full fitness
"Mentally we hope this is a lift for the other injured players too, to see her coming back, because we know this will happen again this season.
He continued, expressing his delight at the warm welcome given to players who have worked tirelessly for months, both off the pitch and on it, in order to achieve this level of performance.
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When asked about Mead's potential inclusion in the match against Linkoping, Eidevall stated that it would not happen yet as it is too early for her. However, she is making good progress.
The eagerly awaited return of the Women's Super League will air on Sunday October 1st, with Chelsea commencing their title defense at home against Tottenham. Arsenal will kick off their campaign at the Emirates Stadium against Liverpool.
Mead return timely boost as WSL nears
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Mead hasn't featured for Arsenal since November 2022
Having Beth Mead back will undoubtedly be a significant advantage for Arsenal as they approach the start of a new season. The timing of her return couldn't be more opportune. Mead's absence was sorely felt by the Gunners last year, especially during the latter part of the season, which experienced a noticeable decline.
Arsenal's hopes of securing more silverware last year were derailed by their injury woes. In March, they managed to edge past Chelsea to win the Conti Cup, but their involvement in multiple competitions proved to be too demanding. Mead, along with several other prominent players mentioned above, including captain Kim Little, was plagued by injuries.
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Mead pictured with team-mates Steph Catley and Lia Walti after Arsenal beat Chelsea to the Conti Cup
If all of those players had managed to stay fit - and we can only speculate here - there is a very real possibility that Arsenal could have reached the Champions League final and maybe even emerged as the winners. Despite having a severely depleted squad, they put up a strong fight against runners-up Wolfsburg in the semis.
The return of Mead will also bring great joy to new signing Alessia Russo, who will greatly benefit from the winger's excellent deliveries from the wide right position. The two have formed a fantastic partnership for England and will now have the opportunity to compete together for the same team domestically. This could prove to be a significant game-changer as Eidevall aims to fulfill his promise of contending for WSL honors right until the very end, a goal he has been striving for since taking charge in 2021.
