Manchester City boss Nick Cushing has said he expects Vivianne Miedema to miss the rest of the season through injury.
Miedema went off with a hamstring issue in Netherlands‘ Nations League clash against Austria earlier this week. Post-match, Dutch national coach Andreas Jonker said he was “extremely disappointed” about her injury setback and did not foresee a speedy return to action.
Cushing shared Jonker’s pessimism about Miedema’s injury.
“We’ve lost Viv and that’s something the medical team are ongoing with. She’s positive but it’s not looking good in the sense of being able to imminently impact any of our games,” he told a news conference on Friday.
“It’s hugely disappointing for Viv because of the role she’s played on the pitch and for me personally because she’s been so pivotal in the results I’ve got with this team.
“She’s played a huge role in dragging this team up and she’s done the same today in the meeting room and on the training pitch.
“She’s positive and concentrating on rehab now, and we’ll give her all the support she needs to be back out there as quick as possible.”
Miedema has endured a torrid time with injuries over the past few years. She missed sizeable chunks of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury while at Arsenal in December 2022. Her return to action wasn’t smooth, with the 28-year-old undergoing minor knee surgery in March 2024.
The forward, who joined City in the summer on a free transfer, has already missed three months of the season after undergoing another operation on her knee in October last year.
Miedema’s latest setback comes just as she has started to hit her stride at City — she won the club’s player of the month award in March for her six goal involvements, including a brace against Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal.
She also got on the scoresheet for her country in the ill-fated game against Austria, and now faces a race to get fit in time for the Women’s Euros this summer.
Information from ESPN Netherlands contributed to this report.
