Confirmed injury: Arsenal player Victoria Pelova tore her ACL.
Another Arsenal player got her ACL tore. Is their injury rate a sign of bad policy?
What was feared became true. The Netherlands and Arsenal will be without Victoria Pelova for the time being. The midfielder sustained a serious injury in the European Championship qualifier against Finland. Jonker already feared a severe knee injury, and this has now been confirmed. Pelova had to leave the away game against Finland after just twelve minutes. "Victoria will undergo surgery and will be sidelined for an extended period," Arsenal announced on Wednesday morning.
Due to her injury, Pelova is expected to miss a significant part of the upcoming season. The 25-year-old Arsenal player will likely be out for six to nine months because of her torn ACL. For a total rupture, it’s likely to require at least nine months to recover. A six-month recovery is unlikely for a total rupture. Considering the indexed recovery time, it might be a partial rupture, which would make her recovery go a little faster. When an ACL is completely torn, they often create a new ACL from another muscle, which is why it takes more time to recover. Pelova is certainly not the first player to suffer a serious knee injury this season. Jill Roord and Aniek Nouwen are also currently missing from the Dutch national team due to torn cruciate ligaments. Additionally, Vivianne Miedema is still not fully fit after sustaining the same injury in December 2022.
Arsenal really should be scratching their heads about their player policy. Just before Pelova entered the Dutch training camp, she traveled to Australia for a promotional match. At the end of the season, where players are already tired, knowing that UEFA scheduled international matches in July and criticism from Lionesses coach Sarina Wiegman was not taken in consideration. They had to go to Australia for money. It’s clear to say Arsenal does not prioritize their players' health enough.
Arsenal players Vivianne Miedema, Beth Mead, Leah Williamson, and Laura Wienroither all had to recover from ACL injuries this season. It’s safe to say Arsenal did not learn a lot from former injuries. Victoria Pelova wasn’t happy herself with the trip to Australia. Now, they have to get another midfielder in the transfer window, just like when Pelova came to Arsenal back in January 2023 when Arsenal needed depth in their squad due to knee injuries.
Arsenal will kick off the new season in style. The pre-season will happen across the pond, where promotion games will be played in the USA. Shortly after, they are starting the season with Champions League qualification.