Jess Fishlock: Wales and Reign FC midfielder out until January with torn ACL
- Published
Jess Fishlock was injured playing for Reign FC in the NWSL
Wales midfielder Jess Fishlock has been ruled out until at least January 2020 after suffering a serious knee injury.
The 32-year-old suffered a torn ACL playing for Reign FC against Utah Royals in the National Women's Soccer League.
She will undergo surgery on Monday.
"When you get injured it's a terrible feeling anyway, but when you get injured and you've been playing well it's a sucker punch." said Fishlock.
"But with regards to my rehab and with regards to coming back, I'm not worried at all. I'll be back early next year."
Fishlock, who won the Women's Champions League in May on loan with French club Lyon, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: "It's just my ACL.
"My other ligaments are fine, the rest of my cartilage is fine, so it's a really straight forward in and out kind of job.
"I'll only be on crutches for two weeks and then I'll be walking."
Wales' record cap holder will miss the first four games of Wales' Uefa Women's European Championship qualifiers.
Wales begin their campaign away to the Faroe Islands on 29 August, before playing Northern Ireland home and away either side of a fixture in Belarus.
Wales coach Jayne Ludlow said: "She'll be a huge miss for us, but what we have to do as a squad is make sure we do her proud.
Wales international Sophie Ingle gives her support to Jess Fishlock on social media
"For the next few months that she won't be involved we have to step up, we have to perform to the levels that she'd expect us to perform at.
"It's going to be an opportunity for someone else to step in and make a claim for a place for the short term, maybe for the longer term.
"Jess will know that as a high-level competitor and that's what she would want from her Welsh team-mates."