Mariona Caldentey, the Spain international who was instrumental in her country's 2023 Women's World Cup triumph, faces an extended spell on the sidelines after sustaining a significant hamstring injury during Arsenal's 4-2 loss to Manchester City on 4 October.
The midfielder was forced off just before half-time, with Caitlin Foord replacing her in the match. Arsenal manager Renee Slegers confirmed the severity of the injury and outlined the expected recovery timeline.
It's a bigger hamstring injury. The estimation right now is between eight to 10 weeks. We'll see. We're re-scanning and the healing process looks good. Of course, we're hoping for less time out, but it's a bigger hamstring injury.
Slegers also expressed her disappointment at losing such a crucial player. According to the manager, "We're gutted to lose Mariona," noting that Caldentey loves playing the game.
Impact on Arsenal's campaign
Caldentey's absence represents a significant blow to Arsenal's season. The midfielder has been a cornerstone of the club since arriving from Barcelona two years ago and was named the 2024-25 WSL Player of the Year. Her loss comes at a particularly challenging time for the Gunners, who have struggled early in the campaign with just one victory in their opening five WSL matches.
The team currently sits 10th in the table and faces mounting pressure on manager Slegers following the disappointing start. Arsenal return to league action on Saturday when they host Birmingham City at 12:45 BST, but will do so without several key players.
Who else is unavailable?
Beyond Caldentey, Arsenal will be without injured England forward Chloe Kelly and German summer signing Selina Cerci for the Birmingham match. Cerci underwent knee surgery after struggling with the injury throughout the early part of the season.
Selina had surgery on her knee. She had been struggling and it got worse, so we had to intervene unfortunately. She's out as well for a while. It's one of the reasons why it was harder for Selina to get into the team because she missed some parts of pre-season.
Slegers explained that Cerci's injury management had affected her integration into the squad.
She has been available and has trained the majority of sessions, but of course it affects the player when you're managing something. Germany did a scan and the best solution going forward was to clean the knee up with surgery.
International implications
Caldentey's withdrawal from action has also affected Spain's plans. Spain called up Liverpool midfielder Natalia Ramos to replace Caldentey for its friendlies against the United States, ensuring the national team could maintain squad depth for the upcoming fixtures.
What happens next for Arsenal?
Following the Birmingham City match, Arsenal face a demanding fixture schedule. The Gunners are scheduled to play Tottenham Hotspur on 24 October and Benfica in the Women's Champions League on 28 October, meaning Caldentey will miss these crucial matches as well.
Key Facts:
- Caldentey suffered the hamstring injury during Arsenal's 4-2 defeat to Manchester City on 4 October
- Expected recovery time is between 8 to 10 weeks, with healing progressing positively
- The midfielder was the 2024-25 WSL Player of the Year and has been at Arsenal for two years
- Arsenal are currently 10th in the WSL table with one win from five matches
- Arsenal will also be without Chloe Kelly and Selina Cerci for upcoming fixtures
