Miedema 'had to turn TV off' as it was 'too painful' after missing tournament

Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema was ruled out of this summer's World Cup due to a serious injury and admits it has been too painful to watch other stars suffer similar misfortune.

The Arsenal forward was stretched off during a Champions League game in December and was unable to make a full recovery in time for the showpiece tournament.

The 27-year-old has been watching from home like club team-mate Beth Mead, who got the same injury four weeks before her.

And Miedema says she has had to leave the room during certain moments.

In a column for The Athletic, she wrote: 'I’ve had to turn away from the TV during some of these World Cup games. I’ve had to walk out of the room.

'It’s been too painful to watch players go down, knowing they might have the same injury I have.

I stopped watching England’s opener against Haiti when Jennyfer Limage went down with what turned out to be an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. I couldn’t keep looking. I needed a break.

'I felt the same when Keira Walsh went off injured for England, even though she avoided the same fate. I’ve found that — watching this happen to so many other players — to be the hardest part of being injured.

Every time I watch women’s football at the moment, I’m waiting for the next big injury to happen. No one should have that in the back of their mind when they’re watching a game, let alone playing.'