Lionesses star Beth Mead reveals promising timeline for return from injury in huge boost for Arsenal

Beth Mead is expecting to be fit in time for the start of the new season.

Arsenal and England’s star forward has been a huge miss for club and country following her devastating Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury she picked up whilst playing for the Gunners last year.

Mead won the Euros with England last summerGetty

But her World Cup dreams were shattered in DecemberGetty

Despite hopes she’d be back from injury in time for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer, the 2022 European Championship’s Player of the Tournament came too soon.

The Lionesses have been able to cope with Mead and fellow Euro winners Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby this summer, going all the way to the World Cup final, which is live on talkSPORT.

Meanwhile Arsenal finished third in the Women’s Super League, with the injuries to Mead, Williamson and other stars taking it’s toll after a promising start to the campaign.

But now, the Gunners – and the Lionesses later down the line – have been given a huge boost ahead of the new season, as Mead told talkSPORT when she expects to be back on the pitch.

“I’m almost there,” the 28-year-old told talkSPORT when asked how her recovery was going. “I’m eight-and-a-half months in to a nine month rehab, so it’s been a long one.

“It’s been tough, but fingers crossed I should be ready for the start of the season and ready to go.

“That’s the plan, so fingers crossed it goes to plan.”

Mead has scored 61 goals in 166 appearances for Arsenal. 

Despite her injury, Mead created 64 chances in 2022, the second-most of any player in a single calendar year in WSL historyGetty

After making her England debut in 2018, she went on to be selected for the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

Mead has now made 50 appearances for the Lionesses, scoring 29 times in that time and also won the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award for her efforts at the European Championships.

Listen to live commentary of the 2023 Women’s World Cup final on talkSPORT, as England go for glory against Spain. Build-up from Australia begins at 10am, with the big kick-off at 11am.