Pride Park Stadium witnessed a bittersweet victory for England's Lionesses on Tuesday, as they defeated Australia 3-0 in a friendly match that was ultimately overshadowed by a serious injury to rising star Michelle Agyemang. The 19-year-old forward, who had only entered the game as a substitute in the 62nd minute, was stretchered off the pitch in visible distress after an awkward fall in the 73rd minute.
The injury appeared to be to her knee, and the concern was evident among her teammates, with Beth Mead, who has previously recovered from an ACL injury, seen gesturing towards Agyemang's knee while speaking with head coach Sarina Wiegman. Wiegman, speaking after the match, described it as an "awful moment" and admitted she was "not feeling very positive" about the extent of the injury. "It doesn't look good," she told ITV, adding that Agyemang would need to be assessed.
Agyemang's injury is a cruel blow for the young player, who was named Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2025 after playing a vital role in England's title-winning campaign. She scored crucial goals in the quarter-final against Sweden and the semi-final against Italy. On loan at Brighton & Hove Albion from Arsenal, Agyemang has quickly become a fan favorite and a key part of Wiegman's plans.
The match itself saw England secure a comfortable victory, although Wiegman admitted that Alanna Kennedy's early red card for Australia, in the 19th minute for a foul on Alessia Russo, impacted the kind of test she wanted for her team. Aggie Beever-Jones opened the scoring from the resulting free-kick, followed by a goal from Lucy Bronze on her 34th birthday. Georgia Stanway added a third from the penalty spot in stoppage time after a VAR review.
Adding to England's injury woes, Aggie Beever-Jones also left the field with a limp, reducing England to ten players for the final stages of the match. Despite the win, the focus remained on Agyemang's condition, with concerns that the injury could have a significant impact on England's future performances.
"It is never nice when anyone comes off a stretcher, let alone a teammate,” Beever-Jones told ITV. The 30,000 fans at Pride Park gave Agyemang a standing ovation as she was stretchered off the field. The Lionesses will hope for positive news regarding Agyemang's injury as they look ahead to their next match against China at Wembley Stadium in November.
