23 August 2023 , 13:01
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England star Alex Greenwood has shown off her battle scars after she suffered a brutal head injury in the Lionesses' World Cup final defeat by Spain on Sunday.
Greenwood posted a gruesome image of her bruised eye to her Instagram followers in the first update she has personally shared on the injury after being pictured at the airport on her way home from Australia.
Her Instagram story on Wednesday showed the dark colour of the bruise had gone down but the left side of her face still looked extremely swollen. The large cut also remains just under her eyebrow after she was clattered in the 77th minute of the final in an aerial clash with Spain winger Salma Paralluelo, with Greenwood appearing to take a knee to the face from the 29-year-old.
After lengthy physio treatment, Greenwood bravely got back to her feet and played on with Paralluelo being shown a yellow for her troubles as BBC commentator Rachel Brown-Finnis said on live commentary: "You can see the blood on Alex Greenwood's head.
"It's a high knee to the face from Salma Paralluelo. If it's a patch-up job, Greenwood will stay on. If there is any whiff of concussion, then a key part of the defence will be gone. This is not a good sight."
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Alex Greenwood posts an update on her bruised eye
Greenwood played on with a bandage (Noe Llamas/SPP/REX/Shutterstock)And Greenwood wore the scars of battle as the England squad left for home on Monday. The deep cut and swelling was still very much evident as she joined the team at Sydney Airport upon their return to the UK.
Greenwood, one of the most consistent players across the entire tournament under Sarina Wiegman, didn't miss one minute of the World Cup as an England player. England's next target is Olympic qualification and Wiegman refused to confirm if she will still be in charge of the Lionesses for the next World Cup in 2027.