Arsenal star Lia Walti announces break from football

Arsenal midfielder Lia Walti has withdrawn from the Switzerland squad and announced her decision to take a ‘short personal break’ from both club and international football.

Walti has remained a crucial player for Arsenal this season, starting 14 of the club’s 16 WSL games – only Caitlin Foord has started more. She has also played extensively in the Champions League, with the Gunners beginning in the qualifying rounds in late summer.

In addition to club commitments, the 29-year-old has turned out nine times for Switzerland since the end of last season, including at Euro 2022, bringing her tally up to 35 games for club and country since the end of June when the Swiss faced England in a warm-up friendly.

Arsenal have already won the Conti Cup this season and continue to fight for trophies on two more fronts in the WSL and Champions League, making for an extremely demanding schedule.

With no let up in sight as the games keep coming thick and fast, Walti has admitted the relentless nature of this season has left her mentally drained.

“For personal reasons, the last weeks and months have been difficult, and mentally and psychologically exhausting. It has been a huge challenge to maintain the focus and trying to perform on my ‘usual level’ every day,” she explained on social media.

“Therefore, I have asked my club and the national team for a short personal break. I left national team [on Saturday] and will take some time off and try to focus on my wellbeing and will, hopefully, come back recovered and with my batteries recharged.”

Switzerland will face Iceland without their captain in what remains of the April international break. She will then miss Arsenal’s huge WSL clash with current leaders Manchester United on 19 April and could also be absent for both legs of the Champions League semi-final against Wolfsburg.

Arsenal are already without long-term absentees Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema in attacking positions, while midfielder Kim Little limped out of the recent win over Bayern Munich. Centre-back Leah Williamson continue to deputise in midfield in the WSL victory against Manchester City, but resources in the middle of the pitch are now set to be stretched even thinner.