Miedema Set To Make Comeback For Manchester City In January Following Knee Surgery

Add as a preferred source on Google

Gareth Taylor anticipates Vivianne Miedema's return to Manchester City in January after knee surgery. The 28-year-old hasn't played since City's Champions League victory over Barcelona on October 9, undergoing surgery later that month. Miedema, who joined City from Arsenal last season, has made five appearances this term, scoring twice. Despite her recovery progress, she won't play before the Women's Super League winter break.

Manchester City have already secured a spot in the knockout stages of the Champions League after winning all four of their group matches. They aim to clinch the top position by defeating St. Polten on Thursday and hoping Barcelona does not win. City have been dominant, winning nine of their last ten Champions League matches and remaining unbeaten at home since September 2018.

The team has consistently scored two or more goals in each of their four matches this season. In October, they narrowly defeated St. Polten 3-2 with an 80th-minute goal from Mary Fowler. Taylor is keen to secure another crucial victory against the Austrian side to enhance their chances of finishing first in the group.

Taylor confirmed that Miedema is back on the pitch as part of her recovery process. "Viv is back on the pitch, which is great," Taylor said. "The reality is we won't see her in these next three games before we break. But we're looking forward to getting her back in early January for when we restart, which is a big boost for everyone."

Miedema's absence has been felt, but her return will be a significant morale boost for the team as they prepare for upcoming challenges. Her presence on the field will be crucial as City looks to maintain their strong performance across competitions.

Taylor acknowledged the competitive nature of their Champions League group, stating that they were aware of facing strong teams from the start. "When you looked at the nature of the group, we knew we were in there with some good teams and one very good team," he said.

Despite initial challenges, City have exceeded expectations by leading their group after four games. Taylor emphasised taking each match as it comes: "We were under no illusions that we had work to do, but we'll very much take it— as boring as it sounds—on a game-by-game basis."

The team's primary goal was qualification; now they aim to finish at the top of their group standings. With two games remaining, maintaining focus and consistency will be key to achieving this objective.