Aston Villa and England midfielder Lucy Staniforth has been ruled out “indefinitely” with an ankle injury.
The 31-year-old will undergo surgery after sustaining the injury in a recent warm up ahead of last week’s Continental Cup group stage fixture against Sunderland.
Villa were unable to provide an exact timeframe on her return, stating she is “set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines”.
Staniforth was an unused substitute for the Conti Cup fixture, which Villa won 7-0 on the night but later saw the points awarded to Sunderland after fielding an ineligible player.
She is the latest Villa player to be ruled out for an extended period this season, with summer signing Lucy Parker set to miss the majority of the campaign after undergoing surgery on a recurring ankle problem in January.
Fellow midfielder Laura Blindkilde Brown joined Manchester City on deadline day.
Staniforth moved to Villa from Manchester United in January 2023. She represented England at the 2019 World Cup in France and was a late addition to the Lionesses’ standby list ahead of the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The midfielder has made 11 Women’s Super League appearances this term. Villa return to action on Saturday with the visit of Bristol City.
GO DEEPER
The women’s January transfer…
