Phoenix players suffer season-end injuries
- editor59343
- 36 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The Wellington Phoenix will be without Tessel Middag and Alyssa Whinham for the remainder of the 2025-26 A-League as both midfielders have suffered season-ending knee injuries.
Middag ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft in her left knee in the opening minutes of her A-League debut against Canberra United at Sky Stadium earlier this month.
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It's the same ACL she had repaired in 2017 and then again in 2018, which saw her miss out on representing the Netherlands at the European Women’s Championship in her home country and FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
Middag was able to play on until halftime against Canberra before she notified team medical staff of her concerns and was replaced. Scans have since revealed the ACL graft rupture.
Scans have also confirmed Whinham ruptured the ACL in her right knee in the second half of the Phoenix’s round three match against the Newcastle Jets at Porirua Park on Sunday.
In contrast to Middag, Whinham suffered a non-contact ACL rupture. She has been an integral member of the Phoenix women’s team since it was established in 2021 and is the side’s second most-capped player.
Phoenix women’s head coach Bev Priestman is devasted for both players.
“Tess and Alyssa have big roles in this team, both on and off the pitch,” Priestman said. “They’ve got very different personalities but personalities that lift the group on a daily basis.
“They’re big losses because both of them could feature in any A-League team.
“For Tess to go through a third ACL injury is a lot to deal with, but she’s handled herself with real class and maturity.
“Alyssa was reaching new heights early in her fifth season with the Phoenix, but I’m sure she’ll be back fitter, faster and stronger.”
The club has undertaken a thorough review to see if there’s anything more it could have done to avoid these devastating injuries.
Director of football Shaun Gill has found the Phoenix women’s ACL injury prevention practices are comprehensive and aligned with industry standards.
“Our programme aligns very well with current best practices,” Gill said.
“We emphasise strength training, neuromuscular control, movement quality and injury risk screening.
“It’s a proactive approach that demonstrates our commitment to player safety.
“Female athletes are currently four to eight times more likely to rupture their ACL than males. We will continue to do everything we can to try and defy those odds.”
