Arsenal lose Caldentey for two months with hamstring injury

Arsenal will be without Mariona Caldentey for around two months with a hamstring injury.

Manager Renee Slegers estimated the midfielder faces eight to ten weeks on the sidelines, BBC Sport. That keeps one of the club's most important players out of a long run of Women's Super League action, England's top flight.

Caldentey was hurt during Arsenal's 4-2 defeat at Manchester City on 4 October. A hamstring injury affects the muscles at the back of the thigh. It is one of football's most common injuries, and it usually needs patient rehabilitation rather than a rushed comeback.

She did not join up with Spain during the international break. That is normal practice when a player is injured. It allows her to stay at Arsenal, start treatment and avoid extra travel.

The timing stings for Arsenal. Caldentey was named WSL Player of the Year for 2024-25. She joined the London club from Barcelona two years ago and settled fast.

In midfield she links the team together. Midfielders connect defence to attack. They keep possession moving, press without the ball and arrive to support the forwards.

Slegers will now have to fill that gap. Two months is a long stretch in a football season. It means several league games pass, routines change and other players get chances to step forward.

What makes this stand out is how quickly Caldentey became central to Arsenal. Supporters learn to look for certain players. The pass before the shot. The calm touch under pressure. Losing that rhythm takes adjustment.

For fans, this means patience. Hamstrings rarely respond to shortcuts. Arsenal will want their Player of the Year back at full pace, not half fit, for the months that follow.