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Alex Greenwood joined Manchester City from Lyon in 2020 Manchester City captain Alex Greenwood has undergone "successful" knee surgery, the club says. The 31-year-old was taken off on a stretcher during the first half of City's Champions League win against St Polten last week. Greenwood looked in considerable discomfort after going to ground following an awkward challenge with St Polten forward Melanie Brunnthaler. The club initially feared the England defender had suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear but it turned out the full-back had injured her Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL), which typically has a shorter recovery time. City have not put a timeframe on Greenwood's return but said she will now return to the club to work closely with the medical team on her recovery. "Not the ending to 2024 that I had planned, " Greenwood wrote on Instagram, accompanied by a photo of her in a hospital bed. "I will work so hard to be back on the pitch as soon as I can. " Greenwood, capped 96 times by England, has made 16 appearances for City this term. City are second in the Women's Super League (WSL), six points behind leaders and defending champions Chelsea. Greenwood's injury is yet another blow for England manager Sarina Wiegman, who has a list of injured players who may not be available for the upcoming Women's Nations League matches in 2025. February's international window includes a match against world champions Spain at Wembley, as well as a trip to Portugal, and Greenwood is likely to miss that. It disrupts her preparation for Euro 2025 at a time when Greenwood was trying to stake a claim for a starting place, facing stiff competition from centre-backs Leah Williamson and Millie Bright. She will hope to be back in time for April's matches against Belgium - just three months before the Euros kick off in Switzerland - but a lack of game time will not help her case. For Manchester City, it is a significant blow and it means they end the year without Greenwood, Lauren Hemp and Khadija Shaw - all crucial players in their title challenge. Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page Football latest: Everton takeover completed & EFL Cup reaction & build-up Friedkin Group completes Everton takeover India to play Champions Trophy games at neutral venue Nat and Jo chat all things Gavin and Stacey Celebrating the story so far and hearing from listeners about why they love it Is time up for Cindy? Watch East Enders from Christmas Day on BBC i Player A deliciously dark short story by Shirley Jackson Read by Sara Kestelman, it will chill, unsettle and delight you An ‘80s festive special with Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. Video An ‘80s festive special with Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones A dysfunctional family Christmas, filmed entirely on their home video camera Why Rashford is 'lightning rod for criticism' Live your life, people will talk regardless - Saka. Video Live your life, people will talk regardless - Saka Hodgkinson wins Sports Personality of the Year 2024 Mentality, Paris effect & Malta sun - inside Fury's revenge bid Slot the difference - Liverpool's tactical tweaks under new boss 'He has rebuilt Arsenal' - now Arteta must clear 'hardest hurdle' How misfit Cavendish changed the face of cycling How to become a football agent Does sacking a manager help you avoid relegation? Everything you need to know about Euro 2025 Tears, tantrums & testing times - how boxers deal with a first defeat Diallo's derby - how Amad made the difference for Man Utd Usyk v Fury 2 - all you need to know 'The award goes to. .. ' - England Test team's year in gongs Voyce - a wing who took flight with Wasps The best pictures from the 2024 F1 season Six countries, two hemispheres - how will 2030 World Cup work? Why Raducanu is giving herself a 'pat on the back' for 2024 © 2024 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.