Everton Ladies' midfielder Fara Williams out for five weeks

Williams has 95 caps for England and has scored 35 goals from midfield

Everton midfielder Fara Williams will be out of action for five weeks after suffering a thigh injury in England's World Cup quarter-final exit to France.

Williams, who had a knee injury before the tournament, played the full 120 minutes against the French.

She told BBC Radio Merseyside: "After five weeks I'll be back playing.

"I've been told to rest and not do anything for a few weeks and try and get myself back. Whether I play in the next five weeks is very unlikely."

Williams added: "Going in to the tournament off the back of an injury and rushing to get myself back fit, it was a case of other muscles around the knee compensating for the knee.

"I then picked up a knock on my quad and found it difficult in the final game. I'd never not want to play for England, injury or not, I'll play if I'm called upon, which I did."

There were high expectations before the tournament that England could reach the semi-finals in Germany, but the 4-3 defeat on penalties to France in the quarter-finals ended their hopes.

Despite the set-back, Williams remains positive about the overall campaign.

"It's definitely a positive getting to the quarter-finals of a World Cup," Williams continued.

"The performance [in the win] against Japan was definitely a positive as was the fighting spirit we showed to come back in the New Zealand game, after coming from a goal down.

"The people who were probably on their last legs in the quarter-finals and lasting 120 minutes is certainly also a positive.

"A penalty shoot-out is pot-luck and at the end of the day, someone has to lose on penalties. Unfortunately it was us."