Manchester City and Lionesses star Alex Greenwood is set for a long stint on the sidelines after undergoing surgery.
The Man City Women’s stalwart has been a vital player in Gareth Taylor’s side ever since she joined back in 2020, being appointed as captain back in September this year.
However, following an injury suffered during the club’s 2-0 win over Austrian side St Pölten in the Champions League earlier this month, Greenwood was sadly stretchered off in the first half and supporters have been nervously waiting for an update on her fitness.
You can see the collision that caused the injury down below:
As you can see, the coming together quickly caused concern as the 31-year-old looked to be in visible distress in the immediate aftermath with teammates and opponents alike getting around her.
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Despite her manager sharing an initial update claiming that the issue “was not as bad as first feared”, the club shared a further statement this Thursday revealing that she had undergone a “successful surgery on a Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) injury…
“The defender has since undergone a repair of her MCL”, the statement continues, “and will now return to the City Football Academy to work closely with the Club’s medical team. Everyone at Manchester City would like to wish Alex a full and speedy recovery.”
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MCLs are considered less severe than the dreaded ACL (anterior collateral ligament) – typically seen as the worst possible injury in football – and tears can often heal naturally without surgery, but sadly Greenwood’s didn’t get off so lucky.
Nevertheless, her knee surgery was completed this week and the Euro 2020-winning England international shared a post to her followers after the procedure, assuring fans, “I will work so hard to be back on the pitch as soon as I can.”
While she expressed a very understandable frustration following such an unfortunate end to the year, her short but sweet statement was a typically defiant one as you would expect from the no-nonsense centre-back.
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It’s still unclear just how long Greenwood will be out for, as post-MCL surgery recovery periods can vary from anywhere between three months and a full year depending on severity and various other factors.
Moreover, with Man City pushing for their first-ever Women’s Super League title and just a few points behind league leaders Chelsea, losing one of your most trusted senior players and leader as important as Alex Greenwood isn’t ideal but a successful surgery is still good news.
With the next Women’s European Championships coming up in July 2025 too, the entire nation will be hoping a key part of Sarina Wiegman’s backline will be able to not just return in time but get some much-needed minutes ahead of squad selection time.
"Very disappointing for Man City and England" 💬
Manchester City have confirmed that captain Alex Greenwood has undergone knee surgery after picking up an injury last week 👇 pic.twitter.com/9IO6XHMvev
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Alex Greenwood (via Instagram)
Sport
Stockport County to introduce safe standing at Edgeley Park
Danny Jones
Stockport County will soon be introducing safe standing at Edgeley Park as part of the pending stadium development plans.
The Hatters may have just missed out on promotion to the Championship, but it’s still been an exciting few years for the club that has seen a fresh surge in young new supporters in addition to their passionate lifelong followers.
In more fantastic news for fans, County have announced that brand new safe standing sections will be installed across the ground.
Confirming the news on Wednesday, the club said: “After receiving all necessary approvals and working closely with safety authorities, we are set to install rail seating in two designated areas of the stadium.
Stockport County is thrilled to announce the introduction of safe standing areas at Edgeley Park ahead of the upcoming 2025/26 season.
Visit the club site for more details on this exciting new development ⤵️#StockportCounty
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) May 28, 2025
As detailed on the club website, there will be two new dedicated safe-standing/rail-seated zones – one in each main stand: the back five rows of seats in the Cheadle End’s upper tier and the back two rows of the Vitality Railway End.
With Stockport Council greenlighting plans for League One side to expand their home capacity, this reconfiguration is set to accommodate a total of 849 County fans and/or supporters.
Although this all depends on final approval from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), the aim is to deliver a “vibrant and dynamic environment for both home and away fans at Edgeley Park.”
The official statement goes on to explain that the push for safe standing is not just to provide more matchday options for those in attendance, but in hopes of further “enhancing the atmosphere and improving the overall matchday experience for those who prefer to stand.”
Couty has insisted that “The rail-seating system incorporates a barrier for every seat, ensuring that supporters are protected from a sudden surge or crowd movement.”
Safe standing is part of the larger Stockport County stadium redevelopment plans.
Addressing early concerns in a ‘What This Means for You’ section, they go on to add: “Season ticket holders currently in the affected rows will be contacted directly by the Club over the coming weeks with details on their options, including relocating to a seated area if they prefer not to stand.
“Information regarding new season tickets and matchday tickets in the safe standing areas will be released in due course.
“We believe this is another significant step forward for Stockport County and will further enhance the already incredible atmosphere at Edgeley Park. We look forward to seeing and hearing the renewed energy in these new sections.”
The safe standing plan is set to be introduced for the upcoming 2025/26 season, with the administration hoping to make this their last in the third tier. Do you see them going up next year?
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press Shot (via SCFC)
Sport
Rio Ferdinand is stepping away from TNT Sports after more than a decade
Danny Jones
Manchester United legend and ex-England international Rio Ferdinand has announced he will be stepping away from TNT Sports, leaving more than a decade with the broadcaster.
Ferdinand has spent the best part of the last 10 years serving as a leading pundit and analyst, as well as hosting his own ‘Rio Meets’ online series – the interview format of which has been replicated on his YouTube channel.
However, after having been one of their main anchors both under the BT Sport and even more so since the inception of the rebranded TNT Sports Football umbrella, the 46-year-old has confirmed he has now quit their regular coverage following the Champions League final this weekend.
In a lengthy statement on social media, the ex-Man United defender, who also played for Leeds, West Ham, Bournemouth and QPR, described it as a “difficult decision.”
Taking time to thank the network for their “tremendous support” over the years, especially those “behind the scenes, whose work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.”
The talented centre-back retired in May 2015 after more than 500 appearances and 81 national team caps, making an almost immediate switch into punditry and remaining a household name.
Rio has also remained a popular figure at Old Trafford and, indeed, across various parts of Manchester since leaving United in 2014.
For instance, his self-titled Foundation has carried out some truly transformational local outreach across various boroughs, as it has back in his home city of London.
Responding to the news, TNT Sports said nothing more than “Thanks for everything, Rio”; meanwhile, fellow former Red, Danny Simpson (who retired last year and also works as a pundit/presenter for MUTV) added: “You’re going to be missed, bro. Every time you’re on, you give us all the mad insight.”
However, he has promised he will remain in the media industry, continuing to work under the Rio Ferdinand Presents digital brand and pursuing “other business interests”.
With his ‘Rio Reacts’ and ‘Vibe with FIVE’ series regularly raking in millions of views, he might not be on the box during European nights but you’ll still be seeing plenty of him.
Danny Jones -
19th December 2024 
