Nathan Cleary has appeared to show his support for his girlfriend Mary Fowler with a touching picture on Instagram.
The Matildas star is expected to be ruled out until next year after she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during Manchester City's Women's FA Cup semi-final defeat by rivals Manchester United on April 13.
The 22-year-old forward had appeared to over-extend her right leg to receive a pass from a City team-mate but appeared to fall to the ground in pain after catching her heel in the turf.
She spent several moments receiving treatment on the pitch before she was escorted from the field.
Breaking her silence on the injury, Fowler had addressed that there was a silver lining behind the injury, before issuing a note of thanks to those who have shown support to her following the injury.
'Nothing like a reminder of how lucky I am,' she wrote on Instagram.
Nathan Cleary (pictured) has appeared to show his support for injury-stricken girlfriend star Mary Fowler
Fowler ruptured her ACL last week during Manchester City's Women's FA Cup defeat by Manchester United
Her boyfriend Cleary (pictured) appeared to pay a nod to his beau, wearing a Matildas shirt with Fowler's No 11 printed on its front
'Thank you for all the kind messages, they mean a lot to me.
'I'm definitely feeling the love and support. And sorry if I haven't gotten back to you yet!!'
Fowler then gave an update on her condition before stating she was set to start her rehabilitation.
'I'm in good spirits, ready to tackle this rehab and also stop to smell the flowers along the way,' she added on Instagram.
On Monday, her boyfriend Cleary took to Instagram to publish several pictures of himself showcasing his life on and off the pitch.
It came after the Penrith star became the Panthers' all-time leading points scorer this weekend during his side's 40-12 victory against the Sydney Roosters on Saturday, surpassing Ryan Girdler's long-held record of 1,572 with 1,583 points.
In one of the pictures, the footy star appeared to pose for a selfie while wearing what appeared to be an Australia Soccer jersey.
The football jumper had Fowler's number, 11, printed on the front, in what was a subtle nod to the Manchester City forward. Fowler had reciprocated the move last year when Cleary led the Panthers to their fourth-straight premiership title, donning a penrith jersey prior to turning out for Manchester City.
Fowler had reciprocated the move last year when Cleary led the Panthers to their fourth-straight premiership title, donning a penrith jersey prior to turning out for Manchester City
Cleary and Fowler had enjoyed a brief catch up at the start of March, before meeting up again over the last month in Australia
Fowler, meanwhile, is now not expected to return until next year due to the knee-ligament injury
In the other snaps, the Penrith star was seen out playing golf with friends, enjoying a walk to the beach and had spent some time journaling beside the sea.
He captioned the Instagram post with a 'meditating' emoji.
Fowler, meanwhile, is now not expected to return until next year, given the length of time her Matilda's team-mate Sam Kerr has been absent for, following her ACL injury in January 2024.
Kerr is still yet to return to action for Chelsea and her national side, but was seen training with Tom Sermanni's side, during their recent international friendlies against South Korea.
Fowler had scored in their 2-0 victory against South Korea, on April 7, having broken her 13-game drought for a goal. During the international break, she was also able to spend some time with her beau, Cleary, with the pair being spotted enjoying a romantic trip to Redleaf Beach in Sydney.
But despite last weekend's agonising news, Fowler has enjoyed a solid season with both club and country, having returned six goals and seven assists for Man City across 17 Women's Super League appearances.
Fowler had also added that she was going to use this time away from the footy pitch to help her 'grow in every way I can'.
'I'm really disappointed to be facing some time out of the game,' Fowler said.
Fowler used an Instagram post (pictured) to reassure her fans that she's OK and looking forward to having the time to 'stop to smell the flowers'
The 22-year-old also posted a message (pictured) that gives an insight into how she'll deal with the long road back to the field
'It's never easy when something like this happens especially when you've been working so hard and feeling good.
'The road ahead will be challenging, but I'm ready to take it on.
'There's still so much I want to achieve, and I'll be using this time to grow in every way I can.
'I'm committed to doing the work, staying positive and coming back better than ever.'
