Right when the sun was shining brighter for Manchester United Women’s FC, the clouds rolled in. The Red Devils ft ladies are once again on a quest to secure excellence after having kicked off a strong season just a couple of months ago. Beyond fighting in the WSL, sitting at 3rd place with a tally of 17 points [5W, 2D, 2L], they are also dominating the UEFA Women’s Champions League with three back-to-back gritty victories. However, just when things were going great for them, tragedy struck, which saw their star goalkeeper, Phallon Tullis-Joyce, sustain a fractured eye socket.

The unfortunate injury came during the USWNT goalie’s presence in the WSL clash against Aston Villa on November 11. Luckily, she wasn’t concussed and seemed just fine until after United’s 2-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain, head coach Marc Skinner confirmed the gravity of the events. In fact, worry only grew after seeing Tullis-Joyce spectating the Champions League clash, and she was even seen with her teammates on the pitch before the kick-off wearing sunglasses.

Having been replaced by back-up goalie Safia Middleton-Patel against PSG, the post-game only saw Skinner get quizzed about Phallon’s injury. “She had a little bit of irritation,” the English tactician said on Wednesday, as compiled by The Athletic. “It was just making sure that she’s safe and healthy.”

This mere precaution also saw Phallon miss Saturday’s Manchester derby clash as she was being medically assessed, which resulted in United enduring a tough 3-0 defeat to arch-rivals City. However, on the brighter side, Marc Skinner admitted that Tullis-Joyce will be fine in no time and even hinted at the possibility of seeing her make a return for this week’s Champions League match against Wolfsburg on Wednesday.

“She should be fine, it’s just trying to make sure she doesn’t get another knock in that area,” the 42-year-old coach said, eliminating any kind of major concerns regarding his star goalie. Well, to be fair, a fractured eye socket usually requires several weeks to heal completely. Given how it was just last week that Phallon Tullis-Joyce sustained this injury, it would be interesting to see whether she will be able to make her quick return.

One should hope so, considering her paramount stature in the Manchester United ranks. Having arrived from the NWSL club OL Reign in September 2023, she has successfully established herself as the WSL side’s No.1 goalie after former star goalie Mary Earps departed. Her performances not only guided United back to the Champions League but also saw her earn a call-up from the USWNT. Speaking of which, this latest injury poses a big problem for Emma Hayes and Co.

While Champions League return confirmed, USWNT appearance remains doubtful

Thanks to her remarkable domestic performances, Emma Hayes has been calling up Phallon Tullis-Joyce on a regular basis. Having earned her first cap back in April against Brazil, she was also called up for the October window. Though the 29-year-old started the opening doubleheader clash against Portugal, which sadly concluded in a 1-2 defeat, the next game against the European giants, followed by a clash against New Zealand, ended in an easy 3-1 and 6-0 victories, saw her get benched.

Next week, the US Women’s National Team will again reunite for this year’s final window, a doubleheader against 2025 UEFA Women’s Euro semifinalists Italy. The opener is set for Friday, Nov. 28, at Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando, followed by a second meeting on Monday, Dec. 1, at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

With Emma Hayes expected to announce her roster in a couple of days, it would be interesting to see whether Phallon Tullis-Joyce will be taking part as well, especially considering that this week, she is touted to play the UEFA Women’s Champions League clash. Our money is not being called up as United themselves wouldn’t risk their star player taking up an international challenge at this point.

Then again, time will reveal all answers. In the meantime, share your thoughts in the comments below.