Jordan Nobbs ruled out of England's Serbia trip

The Arsenal midfielder will not feature as the Lionesses return to action on Tuesday.

Jordan Nobbs ruled out of England's Serbia trip
ameeruszkai
By Ameé Ruszkai

Jordan Nobbs has been ruled out of England's game against Serbia on Tuesday with a hamstring injury.

Nobbs didn't feature in the first of a double-header against their Group 7 rivals, when the Lionesses ran out 7-0 winners on Friday night at Adams Park.

Her absence has now been explained by the news of an injury, with her having stayed in England while the rest of Mark Sampson's squad landed in Belgrade this evening for their next Euro 2017 qualifier.

Gunners to feel the blow?

While England got on just fine without Nobbs a few days ago, and should do just fine without her again on Tuesday, her club will certainly feel her absence if she doesn't recover in time for the return of the FAWSL.

Arsenal have already lost ground in the title race by falling at the hands of Chelsea and Manchester City, and the loss of Nobbs would be a huge dent in their chances of making up for big points dropped.

The good news for the Gunners though is that the league's mid-season break means they won't return to action until June 26, giving their creative midfielder a good three weeks to recover. She might need all of that too, as her hamstring woes continue.

Nobbs will be key if Arsenal get themselves back into the title race. (Photo: Alex Morton/The FA)
Nobbs will be key if Arsenal get themselves back into the title race. (Photo: Alex Morton/The FA)

Injuries, injuries, injuries

However, this news caps off a dismal week for England injury-wise. 

Before Friday's win, Chelsea duo Gilly Flaherty and Fran Kirby pulled out of Sampson's squad with injuries, giving another WSL 1 title contender something to be concerned about.

Meanwhile, the under-23s had it bad ahead of their Nordic Tournament as six players were forced to pull out. Five of these were due to injuries; with Beth Mead and Danielle Carter - another for Arsenal to be worried about - the most notable.

Whether just bad luck or something for the FA to look into - all of England, the players concerned and their respective clubs will just be relieved that June will be a month of rest before domestic action resumes.