‘Huge loss’ - Man City boss Gareth Taylor admits Alex Greenwood injury ‘makes it really difficult’ after Lionesses star stretchered off with knee injury in brutal blow

City faced a worrying moment during their Champions League victory against St. Polten on Thursday at Joie Stadium when the England international collapsed to the ground following a challenge with Melanie Brunnthaler during the the first half. Greenwood was seen covering her face in agony as she was carried off the pitch, an image that underscored the potential severity of the injury.

Speaking after the match to TNT Sports, City manager Taylor admitted that the full extent of Greenwood’s injury remains uncertain.

"Not at this stage," he said. "I turned away because I was frustrated we lost the ball in those areas. It was our own doing. We will just have to assess like with all the many other injuries we have got. We have two games to get through [before the winter break], we will check in on Alex and see how she is but it takes a lot for Alex to come off."

Taylor acknowledged that losing Greenwood, should the injury prove severe, would be a significant blow to the team.

"Huge loss," he added. "We seem to be losing big players. [Vivianne] Miedema, Lauren Hemp, [Naomi] Layzell, Bunny Shaw. If It's Alex it is going to make it really difficult for us. The girls are good in that sense. Hopefully now once we get this break we have a little bit of time and don’t miss these players for too long."

Further complicating City’s injury woes, Taylor revealed that Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, the team’s leading scorer with 14 goals in as many matches this season, is unlikely to return before the new year. Shaw was a last-minute withdrawal from the squad after picking up an issue during training ahead of the 2-0 win over St. Polten.

Speaking on Shaw’s condition, Taylor said: "I’m not too sure, we’ve had multiple scans on the area that she has the issue with, we’ll have to wait and find out. I don’t think we’ll see her until the new year which is a shame for us because she was in a really good vein of form."

In Shaw’s absence, Lily Murphy stepped up and made her mark. The youngster, making her first senior start, opened the scoring for City. Kerstin Casparij doubled the lead in the second half, sealing a crucial win for the team.

Taylor will need to rely on his squad’s depth as the team battles injuries to key players, with City facing a challenging period with crucial matches ahead. They will take on Everton in the Women’s Super League on Sunday, followed by another European clash against Barcelona on Wednesday.