Arsenal forward Beth Mead has been ruled out for the next few months after sustaining a knee injury against Liverpool in their Women's Super League fixture on February 13.

The injury means Mead was not selected by England head coach Phil Neville for the Lionesses' SheBelieves Cup defence in the United States next month - the competition she won last year. 

The 24-year-old has made 25 appearances for England, scoring eight times and has represented her country at multiple youth levels, before making her debut for the senior team in April 2018 in a 2019 World Cup Qualifier against Wales.

She scored her first two international goals against Kazakhstan in a 2019 World Cup Qualifier in September 2018. The forward joined Arsenal from Sunderland in January 2017, after scoring 77 goals in 78 games for the Black Cats.

Since her arrival at Meadow Park, Mead has gone on to win the WSL title last season, as well as the Women's League Cup in 2018.

Individually, in 2018 she was named FSF Women's Player of the Year and Vauxhall England Young Player of the Year - this second time she has won this award - having also been named it in 2015.

While at Sunderland she won the WSL Golden Boot in 2015 and was named the PFA Women's Young Player of the Year in 2016.

The Gunners have confirmed she has suffered damage to her medial collateral ligament.

Her club currently sits third in the Women's Super League table, with 36 points - two behind second-place Chelsea and three behind league leaders Manchester City.

Arsenal is expecting her to be back before the end of the season.