Michelle Agyemang has been diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament after suffering a serious knee injury while playing for England against Australia at Pride Park on 28 October.
The 19-year-old, currently on loan with Brighton, was stretchered off in tears just 18 minutes after coming on as a substitute, following an incident in which her studs caught in the turf and her knee twisted awkwardly. The immediate reaction from players and staff made clear the severity of the injury, and Agyemang later left the stadium on crutches.
After the match, England manager Sarina Wiegman called the moment “horrible” and admitted, “When you’re stretchered off, it’s not nice anyway. It doesn’t look good. Of course, not confirmed but it looks bad.” She added, “Well of course it was an awful moment, it doesn’t look good. She needs to be assessed, I’m not very positive about what I’ve seen.”
Scans have now confirmed that Agyemang has torn her ACL, ruling her out for an extended period. Recovery from such injuries typically takes between nine and 12 months, depending on the success of surgery and rehabilitation.
Arsenal said in a statement, “We are in close contact with Brighton as we determine a treatment and recovery programme for Michelle.” Brighton, meanwhile, added “Michelle will miss the remainder of the season and we are in contact with her parent club Arsenal and will work together to determine a treatment and rehabilitation programme for Michelle.”
The news is a significant blow both for Brighton, where Agyemang has been on loan, and for Renée Slegers’ Arsenal, who looked likely to integrate the forward into the first-team squad next season.
Agyemang had been in impressive form for club and country before the injury and was widely expected to play a greater role at Arsenal in 2026. It is hoped that she can return to full training towards the end of next year.