Manchester City officials say “they don’t fear the worst” after Mary Fowler suffered a knee injury in the defeat of the women’s FA cup semifinal by neighbors Manchester United.
The Matildas star ran out of the Derby draw in just the first 20 minutes of the 2-0 house defeat of the city after requiring several minutes of treatment in the field of the Academy stadium in Manchester after the right knee seemed to bend down while stretching in excess for the ball.
With clear anxiety in the city bank with players who have suffered serious LCA injuries in the past, interim manager Nick Cushing reported after the game: “You don’t look very well imminently.
“Losing Mary Fowler in an important game at an early stage and losing a goal was catastrophic.
“It’s his knee. I don’t want to speculate, but we don’t fear the worst.”
Previously there had been an obvious concern from the city’s doctors before the 22 -year -old grimace could stand up and, briefly, seemed that he felt he could return to action.
But he had to be replaced in the 24th minute by Naomi Layzell, and then he could only look at the bank while his dream of English cutlery this season died after his defeat in the final of the League Cup and the exits of the Champions League at the hands of Chelsea.
Fowler was still being treated when the city already exhausted by injuries was 2-0 until United in the 22nd minute, with Grace Clinton adding to the leadership that they had been given by a brilliant attack by Celin Bizet after only six minutes.
It was a discouraging end of what had been another impressive week for Fowler when he scored Matildas at home in his victory over South Korea before returning for the great city game.
For City, Fowler has been a key creative spark throughout the season, especially while a series of injuries have been affecting some of their other stars, such as Khadija Shaw, Lauren Hemp and Vivianne Medema.
The city’s defeat ended any perspective that the two Australian female players face face in the final of the Cup in Wembley in May, and Sam Kerr’s Chelsea reached the final with a 2-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday.
Kerr herself faces a career against time to appear in the final, since Chelsea informed that she is still “a few weeks” to return to action after his own long -standing ACL injury.
However, the United headlines seem to offer a great challenge to English champion Chelsea after reaching their third consecutive final.
AAPA
