The England manager expressed her outlook was “not optimistic” about the knee problem sustained by striker Michelle Agyemang during England’s 3-0 victory over the Matildas.
The young Arsenal attacker, who began the season on loan at Brighton, collapsed on the Pride Park turf in pain 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 Wiegman. “It doesn’t look good. We don’t know the extent of it yet, she requires evaluation, but I’m not feeling very positive.”
The young forward, who departed the stadium using crutches, was replaced just 18 minutes after entering the match in place of Arsenal teammate Alessia Russo.
“It’s always difficult to see a player stretchered off, let alone a teammate,” her fellow forward Aggie Beever-Jones told ITV. “I’m unsure of the exact injury but I will be praying she will be OK.”
Agyemang’s Recent Impact
Agyemang netted a goal just 41 seconds into her first England appearance in a 3-2 loss to Belgium this past April, two days after being called up to replace injured Russo. She secured a spot in Wiegman’s European Championship roster and arrived on the international stage in style during the summer, netting the crucial 81st-minute leveler versus Sweden in the quarter-final match to send the game to extra-time prior to England’s penalty shootout victory and the 96th-minute equaliser versus Italy in the semi-final clash to push the game into extra time once more, with England ultimately winning in the 119th minute.
Setback Overshadows Strong Display
Agyemang’s injury dampened an encouraging England performance 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 commented. “In qualification matches it doesn’t matter but in a friendly you want to play 11 v 11 since that offers the greatest test. We tried to adapt straight away, they defended deeper making spaces narrower and more congested. We hoped to do other things at the end of the game but sadly we encountered several injuries.”
