Source: Radio New Zealand
Phoenix Alyssa Whinham sits injured on the field. Marty Melville / PHOTOSPORT
The Wellington Phoenix will be without Tessel Middag and Alyssa Whinham for the remainder of the women’s A-League as both midfielders have suffered season-ending knee injuries.
Middag ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft in her left knee in the opening minutes of her A-League debut against Canberra United at Sky Stadium earlier this month.
It’s the same ACL she had repaired in 2017 and then again in 2018, which saw her miss out on representing the Netherlands at the European Women’s Championship in her home country and FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
Scans have since revealed the ACL graft rupture.
Scans have also confirmed Whinham ruptured the ACL in her right knee in the second half of the Phoenix’s round three match against the Newcastle Jets at Porirua Park on Sunday.
Whinham has been an integral member of the Phoenix women’s team since it was established in 2021 and is the side’s second most-capped player.
“They’re big losses because both of them could feature in any A-League team,” said head coach Bev Priestman.
“Alyssa was reaching new heights early in her fifth season with the Phoenix, but I’m sure she’ll be back fitter, faster and stronger.”
The club said it had undertaken a thorough review with director of football Shaun Gill finding the Phoenix women’s ACL injury prevention practices are comprehensive and aligned with industry standards.
“We emphasise strength training, neuromuscular control, movement quality and injury risk screening,” Gill said.
“Female athletes are currently four to eight times more likely to rupture their ACL than males. We will continue to do everything we can to try and defy those odds.”
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
