Manchester City will begin the new Women’s Super League campaign without striker Vivianne Miedema, who is set to miss the opening stages of the season because of a knee injury.
The Netherlands international, 30, has not sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, according to reports. Manchester City have also confirmed that the latest problem is not connected to the previous knee injuries Miedema has suffered during her career.
Miedema played an important role in City’s successful WSL campaign last season, scoring 10 league goals and providing five assists as the club secured the Women’s Super League title for the first time since 2016.
Her previous campaign was largely free from major fitness problems, although she required knee surgery at the end of the season. The latest setback means City will have to cope without one of their leading attacking players at the start of their title defence.
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The new Women’s Super League season gets underway on Friday, with London City Lionesses hosting Manchester United in a 19:00 BST kick-off.
Manchester City will begin their campaign on Sunday when they welcome newly promoted Birmingham City, with the match scheduled to start at 14:30 BST.
Miedema’s absence will be closely watched as City look to make a strong start to their title defence. Her goals and experience were significant factors in last season’s championship success, making her availability an important issue for the team in the weeks ahead.