Vivianne Miedema reveals expected ACL recovery timeframe ahead of 2023 World Cup

Arsenal star Vivianne Miedema has said she expects to be sidelined for nine months following a recent ACL tear and has decided not to rush her rehab in an attempt to make the 2023 World Cup.

It ends any lingering debate as to whether the WSL’s all-time leading scorer could have recovered from the long-term injury in time for the tournament, with typical rehab timeframes for such issues varying anywhere from six to 12 months.

Miedema suffered the devastating blow, the same one as teammate and partner Beth Mead, during Arsenal’s recent Champions League group stage clash with Lyon at the Emirates Stadium.

The 26-year-old said via social media a few days afterwards she knew in the moment her season was over and she likely wouldn’t be going to the World Cup.

Now, Miedema has spoken a little more in detail about what the next few months hold for her, revealing that she has ‘drawn a line’ with regard to the World Cup but still plans to be involved with the Netherlands team in a non-playing role, even remotely.

“My ACL has torn and that means nine months of rehabilitation. I heard it snap and then, unfortunately, you know enough,” she explained in a column with Dutch publication AD.

“Due to the World Cup next summer, I have drawn a line. With pain in my heart, of course, because I would have loved to play a third World Cup in the Oranje shirt. But it’s not realistic.

“I will have surgery in early January and then the long and arduous recovery will begin. It is my first serious injury and I have no idea how my body will react to it.

“I want to recover step by step and responsibly, then we will look further. If I had been 35 now and it was my last World Cup, I would have wanted to take some risks. But I want to go on for years and I’m not going to do crazy things.”

Miedema also explained that she has already spoken to Netherlands coach Andries Jonker about supporting the squad in the months leading up to the World Cup, but is unlikely to travel to Australia and New Zealand because she will be in the latter stages of her rehab by then.

Miedema was just 18 when she was selected for the 2015 World Cup, before helping her country reach the final four years later. She was also a Euro 2017 champion and was expected to light up Euro 2022 in England, but tested positive for Covid-19 during the tournament.