Chelsea and England women’s striker Frank Kirby has banned herself from playing indefinitely as she continues to battle her ongoing health struggles.
The striker, who has been sidelined since February, confirmed in a tweet Friday night that she planned to “put her health first” before thanking people for messages of support.
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes, who is preparing for this weekend’s game against Arsenal, says Kirby has been suffering from “fatigue” for reasons that remain unclear.
Hayes said: “She didn’t get a chance to play over the weekend. She had been in the backstage for a while and was very tired.
Chelsea’s remaining fixtures
- 17 April – Arsenal(a) Women’s FA Cup
- 24 April – Tottenham Hotspur (a) Women’s Super League
- 28 April – Tottenham (h) Women’s Premier League, live on Sky Sports
- 1 May – Birmingham City (a) Women’s Premier League
- 8 May – Manchester United (h) Women’s Super League
“I don’t have a clear cause, we don’t know, but we’re trying to get back to the roots and take the time to try and find the right solution for Fran. That’s what’s going on, unfortunately, until we get to the truth, Fran will Can’t make a selection.”
Last year, Kirby was named the WSL Player of the Season after missing most of the games.
The striker scored in England’s Arnold Clark Cup win over Germany in February, which sealed the title for Salina Wegman’s side, but now looks to be in doubt for this summer’s European Championship.
England Euro 2022 fixtures
6 July: England v Austria – Kick-off at Old Trafford at 8pm
July 11 England v Norway – Kick-off 8pm, Brighton & Hove Community Stadium
15 July Northern Ireland v England – Kick-off at St Mary’s Stadium at 8pm
knockout stage
quarter final
Wednesday 20 July
Quarterfinals 1: Winner Group A v Runner-up Group B – Kick-off 8pm, Brighton and Hove Community Stadium
Thursday 21 July
Quarterfinals 2: Winner Group B v Runner-up Group A – Kick-off 8pm, London Community Stadium
semifinal
Tuesday 26 July
Semifinals 1: Winners Quarterfinals 1 v Winners Quarterfinals 3 – Kick-off 8pm, Bramall Lane
Wednesday 27 July
Semifinals 2: Winner Quarterfinals 2 v Winners Quarterfinals 4 – Kick-off 8pm, MK Stadium
final
Sunday 31 July
Winner Semi-Final 1 v Winner Semi-Final 2 – Kick-off 5pm, Wembley