Lioness Greenwood a doubt for Euros after knee op

Manchester City and England defender Alex Greenwood faces an extended spell on the sidelines following "successful" surgery for a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury, her club confirmed on Thursday.

Greenwood is now a doubt for England's upcoming Nations League and Euro 2025 campaigns after sustaining the knee injury in City's 2-0 win over St. Pölten in the Champions League.

A club statement said: "Manchester City can confirm that Alex Greenwood has had successful surgery on a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury. The defender has since undergone a repair of her MCL and will now return to the City Football Academy to work closely with the club's medical team. Everyone at Manchester City would like to wish Alex a full and speedy recovery."

City have faced a string of injuries this season, with Khadija "Bunny" Shaw, Lauren Hemp and Vivianne Miedema all missing recent games. In the quartet's absence, City lost 2-1 to Everton in the Women's Super League on Sunday, extending the gap between the second-placed side and league leaders Chelsea to six points.

City also fell to a 3-0 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League, falling short of finishing the group stage at the top of Group D.

Greenwood wrote on social media: "Not the ending to 2024 that I had planned. I will work so hard to be back on the pitch as soon as I can, for now I'm going to take some time to myself & family who always give their time to me."

City would not give a timeframe on Greenwood's return, however, Lionesses fans will be concerned over the defender's availability for the 2025 women's European Championship, which is set to begin on July 2, as well as the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign which opens with a clash against world champions Spain in February.

Greenwood was a vital part of England's 2023 World Cup campaign and is one of manager Sarina Wiegman's most valuable defenders.