Lionesses star Leah Williamson ruled out of Arsenal's blockbuster Champions League quarter-final first leg against London rivals Chelsea due to injury

After missing Saturday's 5-0 win over West Ham, Williamson was absent from Arsenal's training session on Monday morning, prompting immediate concern among fans that she would not be fit enough to play in Tuesday's huge game. A few hours later, those fears were confirmed by Gunners boss Renee Slegers in her pre-match press conference. "Leah Williamson is not going to make it," she said. "She's progressing well but it's too early."

It's bad news for Arsenal, of course, not just because of this game but the others coming up. The Gunners face north London rivals Tottenham on Saturday, before making the short journey to Stamford Bridge for the second leg of this Champions League tie next Wednesday. Slegers' side will then finish this block of games with an FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton, on April 5.

However, it's also potentially bad news for England. In just three weeks, the Lionesses have a massive game against Spain, having been grouped with the world champions for 2027 Women's World Cup qualification. Only the side that finishes top of the table will seal automatic qualification for the tournament in Brazil, with the other three teams in the group - completed by Iceland and Ukraine - to have to navigate the play-offs.

Asked if Williamson will be back before that international break, Slegers replied: "I hope so. That's the plan. It's not a big issue. We'll just have to be smart and have to find the right moment and when her body is fully ready to have her playing again for us."

Williamson won't be Arsenal's only absentee on Tuesday, either. The Gunners will also be without all of Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Caitlin Foord, who were part of the Australia side that lost 1-0 to Japan in the Asian Cup final on Saturday. That game was played on home soil in Sydney, some 10,000 miles from London. "They landed early this morning," Slegers explained. "They're staying at home today. They'll be in for a short session, some gym work, tomorrow, but they won't be available to play tomorrow."

There was at least some good news for Arsenal fans, as Slegers explained that the absence of Olivia Smith, their flying winger, from Monday morning's training session was not due to injury, but rather because of her individualised recovery plan.

Tuesday's game will be a test of Arsenal's squad depth, then. The Gunners have been going well in the last couple of weeks while their trio of Australia internationals have been away and they also won at the weekend and kept a clean sheet despite Williamson missing out.

Stars such as Alessia Russo, who has 21 goals and assists this season, and Mariona Caldentey, runner-up in last year's Ballon d'Or vote, headline a squad that still has plenty of quality as Arsenal look to defend their Champions League crown, with England international Lotte Wubben-Moy and Spain's Laia Codina likely to make up the centre-back positions with Williamson unavailable. Wubben-Moy has won two European Championship titles with England, while Codina was part of the Spain side that beat the Lionesses in the 2023 Women's World Cup final. Both have plenty of experience of these big games.

The Gunners were somewhat surprise winners of the Champions League last season, when they beat three-time champions Barcelona in the final. Prior to that, they completed two incredible comebacks, first in the quarter-finals, to beat Real Madrid after losing the first leg 2-0, and then in the semi-finals, thrashing eight-time winners Lyon 4-1 in France. But Arsenal will certainly not be underestimated by anyone now after that accomplishment and will fancy their chances at retaining the crown, given what they showed last season, even if absences like that of Williamson will make tomorrow's game that much harder.