Lia Walti undergoes abscess surgery after health scare last season left Arsenal star on life support | OneFootball

(Photo: Kunjan Malde for The FA)

Arsenal and Switzerland midfielder Lia Walti has undergone a second surgery to deal with an abscess, which left her on life support last year.

The 32-year-old first had surgery on an abscess last November after she found a lump on her body, which she originally feared was a tumour.

She required an immediate operation as it could have been life-threatening if not dealt with.

Walti missed two months of action before returning in Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Crystal Palace on January 19th.

She was an unused substitute as Arsenal won the Champions League in May, before playing all four games for Switzerland at their home Euro 2025 championship.

Ahead of the new WSL season, Walti has undergone a planned second surgery to deal with the abscess.

She posted a picture of herself in a hospital bed on Instagram before the surgery, with the message: “After my abscess-operation back in November, a little more attention was needed – so here comes round two.

“Even though the surgery was planned, it’s still not an easy hit to take. But giving up isn’t an option. Staying positive as always and manifesting full recovery.”

When did Lia Walti discover she had an abscess?

Arsenal midfielder Lia Walti discovered a lump on her body last season, which proved to be an abscess that required immediate surgery in November 2024.

She initially told the doctors at Arsenal, but needed an operation as the lump “got bigger so quickly”.

Speaking to Blue Sport, she said: “I was told you have to operate immediately. If you wait any longer, the bacteria in the body can become life-threatening, depending on where they are.”

She added: “I had the MRI in the morning and was operated on the same day. I didn’t really have time to process it before the operation took place.

“At first, I was just happy that it wasn’t a tumour. I was a little scared when you feel a lump like that in your body.

“It did shake me up a bit. And it certainly showed me again that it’s good to listen to your body and your gut feeling and go to the doctor more often.”

What is an abscess?

An abscess is a collection of pus that has built up within the tissue of the body, which is normally caused by a bacterial infection.

Symptoms normally include having a lump on your body, redness, pain and swelling.

Lia Walti said that the condition can be ‘life-threatening’ if not taken seriously.

When she went in for her first surgery she wrote on Instagram: “This is a reminder to always tune in to your body.

“I listened to mine, paid attention to what felt different, and trusted my instincts to get it checked. What seemed small turned out to be an abscess, but because we caught it early, I got the help I needed.

“I feel so lucky it was caught in time. Please take care of yourself and never ignore the little signs.”

Will Lia Walti be ready for the start of the new season?

Having a surgery just over a month before the start of the season means Lia Walti will be in a race against time to be ready for the first game of the season.

Her first operation kept her out for nearly two months, and the new WSL season begins on September 5th.

Arsenal’s first game of the season is on September 6th against newly promoted London City Lionesses.

Walti’s last game was against Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2025. Spain beat Switzerland but lost to England on penalties in the final.

Betting sites have Spain as 5/2 favourites to win the competion in four year’s time.