Arsenal Women’s Swiss captain, Lia Walti, on her “rough start to the season” post-injury

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·23 de novembro de 2024

Arsenal Women’s Swiss captain, Lia Walti, on her “rough start to the season” post-injury

Lia Walti’s 2023-24 season ended early; in March Walti picked up a season-ending injury that saw her out of action for about 5 months. Arsenal Women had to see out the 2023–24 season without her services. In the summer, Walti opened up about how tough her knee injury recovery period was. She hinted that she had never experienced anything like it before. Well, that injury changed her, and in an interview with 90min she revealed how that injury has made her more appreciative of the game. “I had a rough start to the season, and it took me a while to get back into the team, and obviously you never know how good you are going to be coming back,” she says. “There are always a lot of questions in your head, and you have a lot of insecurities. “It’s even nicer when you are back on the pitch and you can still help the team. I appreciate my health even more and enjoy being able to perform on a good level for Arsenal, one of the best clubs in the world, as well as prepare for a home Euro tournament. I will do everything I can to stay healthy now.” As appreciative as she has been of the game, her top performances have truly demonstrated this appreciation. Her control and dominance in the Arsenal women’s engine room in games like the 1-1 draw with Manchester United and the 4-0 win over Juventus the other week left us appreciative of her services. Hopefully she continues to soar and her midfield pairing with Kim Little and Frida Maanum continues to cause havoc in the WSL and the Champions League. Having said that, Walti, like most Gunners, does not want Renee Slegers, who has done an excellent job leading them as the interim manager following Jonas Eidevall’s resignation, to leave. She wants the Dutch coach to remain at the club. “I think she’s doing a great job in her role right now, and we’ll see what the club decides for her,” she explains. “I like Renee as a person, and she knows the team well, so if you can involve her at Arsenal, then she’s a good benefit for us.” Well, I guess soon we will know Renee’s fate—will she be confirmed permanent boss or will she return to her assistant role?