There is a specific kind of quiet that happens when a player goes down untouched. It’s the sharp, sudden hush of collective dread that something has gone terribly wrong. For Liverpool Women midfielder Marie Höbinger, that moment arrived on an October afternoon at Anfield against Manchester City.
Just 25 minutes into the match, a non-contact knee twist sent her to the turf. The diagnosis was a total rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
ACL injuries have long been the cruelest injury especially for the women’s game, robbing teams of their finest talent for months on end and demanding a psychological toll that far exceeds the physical pain.
For Höbinger, a dynamic Austrian international who had quickly established herself as the beating heart of Liverpool’s midfield following her 2023 move from FC Zürich, it meant ten grueling months on the sidelines. It meant watching from the stands as a heavily depleted Liverpool squad endured a painful 2025/26 Barclays Women’s Super League campaign, struggling to an 11th-place finish.
Fast forward ten months to the AXA Melwood Training Centre. The pre-season friendly against Leicester City Women was always meant to be a step back toward normality a low-key 45-minute outing to blow off the cobwebs. Instead, it turned into something magical.
A Dream Comeback at Melwood
Featuring for the opening half of Liverpool’s second warm-up match of the summer, Höbinger looked like a player who had never been away. Smooth in possession and sharp in her movement, she capped off her return in fairytale fashion, guiding home a crisp, low strike to seal a 2-0 victory for Gareth Taylor’s side.
“It was amazing, so happy to be back with my friends,” Höbinger told Liverpoolfc.com post-match, her smile reflecting the immense relief of a long journey completed.
“It feels really good to play again but also be around the team again and feel like a normal football player. It was really fun, and also good to get some minutes. As soon as I was in the game, it just felt really normal. I tried to stay as focused as possible and get back into my routines and the football I play.
“To score was really nice. I only realised after, when everyone came to hug me and everyone was so happy. I’m so happy to have such a good group around me.”
Höbinger’s goal doubled Liverpool's lead five minutes before the interval, following Jenna Clark’s 36th-minute header. Collecting a precise pass across the box from summer arrival Vivien Endemann, the Austrian midfielder calmly placed an angled shot past the Leicester keeper from the edge of the area.
What followed was a flood of emotion as teammates, staff, and substitutes mobbed the No.14 on the pitch.
“Honestly, that was probably the nicest part for me,” she reflected when asked about the reaction. “I’ve had so many hugs. That’s the best part about it.
“My teammates are my friends and the team have really carried me through the rehab as well. They were there on my hard days and they’ve allowed me to struggle as well in this environment. I also think that’s special.
“Also the way they have celebrated the positive moments is so amazing. Even the small steps; jumping, running, being back on the pitch, they were always there to celebrate those wins with me. That felt so special throughout the rehab and also coming back out today. I felt so valued and appreciated by the group. Super-special for me and something I’m very grateful for.”
The long road back: The ACL Mountain
Rehab from an ACL reconstruction is rarely a straight line. It is a lonely process consisting of repetitive gym sessions, isolated running drills, and endless hours spent away from the group. For Höbinger, maintaining mental fortitude through those dark days required relying heavily on the culture fostered within the Liverpool squad.
While the medical staff managed her physical recovery step-by-step, it was the small daily triumphs celebrated by her teammates the first day off crutches, the return to straight-line running, the first light session on the grass that kept her anchored.
Her successful 45-minute stint against Leicester marked the culmination of nearly a year’s worth of quiet, unseen graft behind closed doors.
Dominant Display and Key Returns
Liverpool were dominant from the outset at Melwood. The Reds almost broke the deadlock inside sixty seconds when Alice Bergstrom’s cross was headed inches wide by Ceri Holland. Höbinger herself went close early on, curling a 20-yard free-kick marginally over the crossbar after Aurélie Csillag was brought down.
The pressure finally told when Bergstrom recycled a cleared corner to deliver a pin-point cross for Clark to head home. Five minutes later, Fuka Nagano unlocked the Leicester defence with a pass to Endemann, who picked out Höbinger for the second.
The second half saw wholesale rotations, but no shortage of encouragement. Beyond Höbinger's return, Scotland international Sam Kerr handed the Reds another huge injury boost, playing 30 minutes at right-back after recovering from a persistent back issue.
Vic Jones and Ella Jones also shone bright off the bench, with Vic drawing a superb save from the Leicester keeper after a dazzling solo run.
With a disappointing 2025/26 season in the rearview mirror, head coach Gareth Taylor has undertaken a significant squad overhaul ahead of the new campaign. The club has been aggressive in the transfer market, adding quality and depth across the board to ensure they are never caught short again.
Optimism Ahead of the New WSL Season
With three weeks remaining before Liverpool kick off their 2026/27 Barclays Women's Super League season away to Charlton Athletic on September 6, Höbinger is energized by the fresh talent around her and the depth Taylor has constructed.
“It’s a very new team for me as well, a lot has changed in the season I have missed. I think we look like a very strong team,” Höbinger concluded.
“We have different strengths. We have a good bench, a bigger squad than we had last year. Pre-season has been very positive until now. We have a few more weeks to go and [we are] so excited to start the season.”
Liverpool continue their pre-season preparation with a mid-week trip to face Birmingham City on Wednesday, with Höbinger now firmly back where she belongs: in the heart of the action.
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