According to a report by Football London on Thursday October 29, 2026, Arsenal have suffered a major setback after head coach Renee Slegers confirmed that defender Katie Reid will not return to action before Christmas following another ankle injury during her recovery from a previous long-term absence.

The Gunners are preparing to welcome Aston Villa to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in the Women’s Super League. Both teams have collected nine points from seven matches, with Arsenal occupying sixth position and Villa sitting eighth.

Speaking during Thursday’s pre-match press conference, Slegers revealed that Reid had resumed training with her teammates before suffering the latest injury. The unfortunate development has delayed her anticipated comeback until after the Christmas period.

“Katie Reid, she was back training with the team, she got an ankle injury, which sets her back,” Slegers explained, expressing disappointment about the defender’s situation and confirming that she would remain unavailable for several weeks.

The 20-year-old had been working towards returning after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in November 2025. Her latest setback represents another frustrating obstacle after months of rehabilitation and gradual progress towards regaining full fitness.

Slegers admitted that Reid was understandably devastated by the news, highlighting the physical and psychological difficulties players experience when recovering from serious injuries. She acknowledged that suffering another setback during rehabilitation makes an already challenging process considerably harder.

Despite the disappointment, the Arsenal manager praised Reid’s character and determination, expressing confidence that the young defender would eventually overcome the difficult experience and continue developing into an important player for the club.

Slegers also revealed that Reid had impressed during her initial training sessions, particularly through her composure, technical ability and physical qualities. Her performances had provided encouragement before the unfortunate ankle problem interrupted her progress.

Reid previously started seven of Arsenal’s opening nine matches during the 2025-26 campaign before sustaining her ACL injury. She also won September’s fan-voted Player of the Month award and earned her first senior England national team call-up.

Meanwhile, Frida Maanum could return to the squad after recovering from a quadriceps problem. However, Daphne van Domselaar remains unavailable to start, while Chloe Kelly will also miss Sunday’s encounter against Aston Villa.

Arsenal enter the fixture confidently after defeating Benfica 3-0 on Wednesday, with Alessia Russo scoring a remarkable hat-trick. The Gunners also defeated Villa by the same scoreline during their previous league meeting in May.