16 Arsenal Women players were called up for national team duties during this international break. All of them working hard to help their teams towards qualification for the Paris Olympics 2024. Some are doing exceptionally well indeed, such as Ireland’s Katie McCabe & Australia’s Caitlin Foord:
Katie McCabe scored a Hat Trick & 2 assists, as the Republic of Ireland beat Albania 5-1. Ireland are looking good for qualification to the Women’s Nations League semi-finals, with only the return leg to be played against Albania on Tuesday 31st October. (Ireland are playing in Group B so cannot qualify for the Olympics but a good show now could soon qualify them to Group A for the next time around)
Caitlin Foord scored a Hat Trick & 4 assists, as Australia beat the Philippines 8-0.
But some are not doing quite so well at all.. Arsenal’s Swedish duo have both withdrawn from international duty due to injuries..
Injury updates:
Lina Hurtig did not join her Swedish teammates as she is staying at Arsenal, rehabilitating from an injury. Lina has been plagued by injuries since joining the Gunners last summer – hopefully she will be back to active duty soon.
“It’s an injury situation that we know about. We know that she won’t be joining us on the night she’ll be at Arsenal rehabbing. So we’ll see when we can bring her in,” says Peter Gerhardsson, as per tellerreport.
Amanda Ilestedt is with the Swedish camp but will not be available to play the final game of this Paris Olympics 2024 Qualifiers, which will determine if Sweden qualify. Sweden is second in their group on six points after three games. World champions Spain are first on nine points.
“Amanda has improved in her individual training in a good way every day during the camp, but we make the assessment that the time until Tuesday is too short for Amanda to be fully ready and available for the match then,” says national team doctor Houman Ebrahimi in a statement, as per Swedish publication dn.se. Ilestedt won the Bronze Boot at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 this summer, even though she is a defender. She will be a big miss for Sweden at the National League and a big miss for Arsenal Women if her injury is problematic..
Arsenal Women’s striker Stina Blackstenius will be representing Sweden on Tuesday, without her Arsenal teammates alongside.
See full international round-up for all Arsenal Women here
Should we be worried Gooners? We do not need another injury-ridden season..
Hopefully no further injuries to report over the coming days!
COYGW!
Michelle Maxwell
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