In a significant setback for Alisha Lehmann‘s squad, Lucy Staniforth has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to an ankle injury, casting a shadow over Aston Villa‘s Women's Super League (WSL) campaign, reported by GOAL.

The English midfielder sustained the injury during the warm-up session ahead of Villa's recent victory against Sunderland. Staniforth is now set to undergo surgery on Wednesday, a crucial intervention that is expected to keep her sidelined for the rest of the WSL season.

This injury compounds Villa's woes in midfield, with the earlier departure of Laura Blindkilde Brown to Manchester City. Brown's move, reportedly for a fee close to the domestic record for a British player, dealt a blow to Villa's lineup. Having signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with City, Brown's absence left a significant gap in Villa's midfield.

Addressing the media, manager Carla Ward acknowledged the impact of losing key players: “Lucy Staniforth and Laura Blindkilde Brown have obviously been ever-present in our midfield, so it's a massive hole. Stan has been excellent for us, but it's an injury that requires intervention, so we'll get that done on Wednesday and have her back for pre-season.”

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What's next for Aston Villa and Alisha Lehmann?

Alisha Lehmann in front of the Aston Villa logo

The burden now falls on Alisha Lehmann to step up and take on additional responsibilities in the absence of Staniforth. Currently sitting in eighth place in the WSL with 12 points from an equal number of matches, Villa faces Bristol City in their next league encounter on Saturday. As the team navigates these challenges, Lehmann's leadership will be crucial in steering Villa through the remainder of the season.