Arsenal and England captain Leah Williamson is set to make her long-awaited return to action for the first time since the Euro 2025 final, ending a four-month absence due to a knee injury. The 28-year-old defender will feature briefly in Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League clash against FC Twente on Tuesday evening, according to manager Renee Slegers.

Williamson’s Road Back from Injury

Williamson has been sidelined since leading the Lionesses to back-to-back European titles at Euro 2025, requiring a minor knee clean-up operation. During her recovery, she has gradually reintegrated with the team, participating in training sessions and regaining fitness.

“She’s been training with the team and was in the squad against Liverpool just to get back into her routine. It was good to have her around,” Slegers said ahead of the fixture. “She is doing well and did the full session again today. She is available for a couple of minutes tomorrow (Tuesday, 20:00 GMT). She won’t start, but she will be in the squad.”

Williamson was an unused substitute in Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday, marking her first appearance in a matchday squad since the Euros.

Arsenal’s Struggles During Williamson’s Absence

Arsenal have struggled to replicate the dominant form that led them to the Women’s Champions League title under Slegers last season. In the Women’s Super League, they currently sit eight points behind leaders Manchester City. In Europe, Arsenal are 10th in their group with just two wins from four matches, making Williamson’s return an important boost for both the domestic and continental campaigns.

Slegers acknowledged the challenges of Williamson’s absence: “Of course, it was unfortunate for her to sustain that injury in the Euros and she had to work hard to come back from it. She is in a really good place and has been spending a lot of time on the pitch. Maybe the timing of the international break extended that as there was no opportunity to train in big groups with 11 v 11 and in chaotic moments. But she is very ready, and we will be very happy to have her back.”

Return of Experienced Players

In addition to Williamson, Arsenal captain Kim Little has also recovered from a calf injury, coming off the bench against Liverpool. Slegers did not rule out a starting role for Little against FC Twente but emphasized the need to manage players’ fitness carefully.

The return of experienced internationals like Williamson and Little is expected to provide a morale and tactical boost as Arsenal aim to progress in the Champions League knockout stages and close the gap on leaders in the WSL.

Slegers on Squad Confidence

Despite recent challenges, Slegers remains optimistic about her squad’s mentality: “I think that’s been excellent from the squad. When you look at the second half of last season, how easy things were for us, and that we were in a flow state, scoring a lot of goals, then if that’s different or harder, you have to work even harder from a psychological aspect to make sure everyone feels good and believes in what we’re doing.”

With Williamson returning to action, Arsenal will have more defensive solidity and leadership on the pitch, reinforcing their push for domestic and European success in the second half of the season.