Jonas Eidevall says Beth Mead's time on the pitch will still need to be managed carefully after a triumphant return to action for Arsenal.
Playing her first game since rupturing her ACL last November, Mead came off the bench to turn the tide against Aston Villa. With the visitors leading 1-0 with only a few minutes to play, Katie McCabe drew Arsenal level before Mead assisted Alessia Russo's dramatic winner to complete a fairytale comeback.
The England forward was in the Arsenal matchday squad for the first time in the WSL this season and ended up playing close to fifteen minutes when including stoppage time. This has raised the prospect of whether she could be named in Sarina Wiegman's England squad this week for a Nations League double-header with Belgium.
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall urged caution after the game and said Mead won't yet be ready to play a full 90 minutes. But the Swede did stress is was Wiegman's decision to pick the national team, when asked about her England chances.
"Sarina’s job I can't really comment on," he said. "Because I don’t see all the players that she has the opportunity to select. So I have no idea.
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"But how do we manage Beth? It's not she does 15 minutes here (against Villa) and is now a 90 minutes player - it doesn't work like that. But we’ll work closely with the medical team, like we have been doing and continue to take good decisions.
"That is not too defensive, to not allow her to play. But we won't want be to optimistic and take risks. It is really important we manage her return to play in a good way and that has not ended yet, just because she did 15 minutes today."
Mead, who had to miss out on a World Cup in Australia over the summer as she continued her rehab, said after the win she is ready to play for the team if Wiegman needs her. Her return for Arsenal could prove to be the catalyst to turn their season.
After an early Champions League exit and a home defeat to Liverpool, another loss against Villa could have brought something of a mini-crisis in North London. Instead Mead helped turn the game, with the crowd noticeably energised when welcoming her back onto the pitch as she replaced Noelle Maritz.
And Eidevall was delighted to see her get such a big reception from the Emirates faithful.
Beth Mead in action against Aston Villa (Getty Images)"It was big for her," Eidevall added. “It makes me happy because she (Mead) deserved that reception. She has worked so hard.
"She’s had a really difficult year, she has been injured, her mum passed away. We know that it has been incredibly tough for her.
"It’s so nice to see her back on the pitch. You don’t know she’ll be able to perform until she is back on the pitch. You hope for it, but you don’t know it, so that was very nice."
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