England's Kirby (knee) to miss World Cup
Published
An already injury-hit England suffered another blow on Tuesday when Fran Kirby revealed that she is set to undergo knee surgery and will also miss the Women's World Cup.
The 29-year-old Chelsea midfielder joins captain Leah Williamson in missing this summer's tournament with forward Beth Mead also expected to miss out and Kirby's Chelsea teammate Millie Bright a question mark, both with knee injuries.
"Unfortunately after a few months of rehab the decision has been made that I will require surgery on my knee," Kirby wrote on Twitter. "I have been trying my best to not have to undergo this, but unfortunately my progress has been limited. I'm absolutely gutted to announce that this means my season is over and I will not be able to make the World Cup. I'm going to be doing everything possible to be ready for the start of next season.
The Reading native picked up the injury during the League Cup semi-final against West Ham in February.
A product of the Reading academy, Kirby made her senior debut for the club in 2012 before joining Chelsea in 2015. During her time with the Blues, Kirby has won five Women's Super League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups.
Internationally, Kirby has been capped 65 times by the Lionesses and was a key contributor to the England side that won Euro 2022 last summer.
Co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the Women's World Cup is set to get underway on July 20. England is set to play in Group D alongside Haiti, Denmark and China.