'There are no words' - Brighton boss Dario Vidosic heartbroken as Michelle Agyemang suffers catastrophic ACL injury but backs 'very strong' winger to come back stronger

Agyemang, who was a surprise inclusion in the England squad for Euro 2025 over the summer, came off the bench in the 62nd minute during the Lionesses' 3-0 win over Australia in Derby on Tuesday night. However, the teenager suffered the ACL injury in the 80th minute and was stretchered off.

"We can confirm that Michelle Agyemang suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury while playing in England’s 3-0 win over Australia in Derby on Tuesday," parent side Arsenal said in a statement this week.

"Michelle came off the bench in the 62nd minute and sustained the injury just before the 80-minute mark. The 19-year-old forward, who is currently on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion, will miss the remainder of the 2025/26 season as a result of the injury.

"We are in close contact with Brighton as we determine a treatment and recovery programme for Michelle. We will be giving Michelle our full support as she begins the road to recovery."

The news has rocked Brighton, who have won two of their opening six league games of the WSL season ahead of their welcome of Manchester United on Sunday. On the injury, Brighton boss Dario Vidosic said: "It's not just us that are heartbroken but the whole nation, seeing her go down in that game, I think we all held our breath. There are no words, it's a tough one. I spoke to her today and she said she is OK, she feels good.

"She is a very switched-on kid so her mind is already set on it (recovery), that's the impressive thing about her that maybe not everyone gets to see. It's a chance to improve. We'll keep her engaged and learning, if not physically. We can still keep her mind growing and learning as a young player.

"She still has a lot of potential that we were seeing each week, she was growing through the experience of playing and coming up against tough opponents. Now we'll find another means to do that off the pitch. We'll help her mentally so that when she comes back it will be like she hasn't missed a beat."

Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers offered words of support for Agyemang and knows what exactly what the forward is going through.

"It's a very sad time," Slegers, who suffered two ACL injuries during her playing career, said. "When these moments happen it's horrible because you know that it will keep them away from the game for a long time. I've gone through it twice as well, so I know what it does, how much strength it takes both physically, but not the least mentally to come back.

"It's a long investment for those players to come back again. If you look at Michelle specifically, I think she's been doing so well. Her loan at Brighton has been really positive. She's had all those minutes for England, contributing, winning the Euros.

"She was in a really good place. The timing of this isn't great, although it's never a good time. But Michelle is very strong, she's young, she will have the strength to come back and we'll do everything we can to support her."

The number of ACL injuries in the WSL is a concern. Since 2023, the likes of Sam Kerr, Jill Roord, Aurora Galli and Sophie Ingle have all endured significant spells on the sidelines owing to these issues.

English pair Leah Williamson and Beth Mead also missed the 2023 World Cup as a result of respective ACL issue.