England star Alex Greenwood sustains a horrific cut above her right eye during the fierce World Cup final which sees Spain’s Salma Paralluelo kneeling in her face
- Alex Greenwood suffered a painful cut on her eye during the World Cup final
- The England star drew blood after being kneeled in the face by Salma Paralluelo
- WATCH: ‘It All Begins’ – Episode 1 – The brand new football show from Mail Sport
Alex Greenwood suffered a deep cut on her eye in England’s Women’s World Cup final against Spain on Sunday.
The Lionesses defender went down in the 77th minute after colliding with Spanish winger Salma Paralluelo as the duo battled for possession.
Greenwood fared worse in the aerial duel and received lengthy on-field treatment in Sydney while the England physio team attended to her.
The 29-year-old appeared to be kneeled in the face by her Spanish counterpart and drew blood when she lay down as play was interrupted in the final.
Paralluelo was booked for foul play on the England star.
England star Alex Greenwood (centre with headband) was treated for an eye injury in the Women’s World Cup final on Sunday
Greenwood suffered what appears to be a deep cut to her eye after being punched in the face during a foul
Images show Greenwood had a 1-2cm deep cut under her right eyebrow after being recovered by the England medical team.
There was also significant swelling around the eye and showed that the skin had been pressed onto her eye from the injury.
Greenwood was able to look out for the rest of the game after being allowed to stay on the field after the blood cleared.
Her treatment contributed to adding a huge 13 minutes of stoppage time at the end of the World Cup encounter.
Greenwood was left bloodied from the injury, but continued to play for the rest of the game
Spain’s Salma Paralluelo (right) kneaded Greenwood (center) in the face as he challenged for the ball
Despite Greenwood’s determination, England could find no way back against their European opposition, who went on to take the title.
The England number 5 wore a headband for the rest of the match before removing it full-time to reveal the extent of her injury.
Describing the head injury at the time, BBC commentator Rachel Brown-Finnis said of commentary: ‘You can see the blood on Alex Greenwood’s head. It’s a high knee to Salma Paralluelo’s face.
“If it’s a patch job, Greenwood stays on. If there is a hint of concussion, an important part of the defense is gone. This is not a good sight.’