Cooney-Cross Set for Emotional Emirates Return After Losing Mother to Cancer

Arsenal midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross will run out at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday for the first time since her mother, Jess, died of cancer two months ago, as the Gunners host Crystal Palace.

The Australia international says she is treating the return "one day at a time" and admits the fixture will bring mixed feelings.

"It's mixed emotions. Game days are very emotional for me now," Cooney-Cross told BBC Sport. "But I want to play for the fans as well, to say thank you to them."

Jess Cooney-Cross was diagnosed with stage four cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the bile duct, in January this year. She died in July, aged 45.

Cooney-Cross, 24, was in England when she got the news over the phone from her stepdad and immediately flew home to Melbourne, taking an open-ended break from football to be with her mum in her final months.

"That time at home was something I definitely needed," she said. "Being able to be there with her over the last six months, and then that last week, it's sad, but I think we also need to think of it as a beautiful thing as well."

The eldest of four sisters, Cooney-Cross says her mum raised the family alone and drove her to training in Melbourne several times a week, often on a tight budget, so she could chase a football career.

"I don't even know half of the sacrifices she's made," she said. "I want to carry her in everything I do."

While away from the game, Cooney-Cross kept training on her own with a personal coach and gym access, partly to stay match fit and partly as a release from what was happening at home.

She says the club were a big support as she eased back into the squad, with head coach Renee Slegers and director of women's football Claire Wheatley checking in regularly, and teammates Alessia Russo and Taylor Hinds offering support along the way.

"I've been distracted, I've been supported, and it's been a really smooth transition," Cooney-Cross said. "I've got good people around me."

She was an unused substitute in Arsenal's season opener against Brighton. The Emirates was also the last ground where her mother watched her play, and Cooney-Cross hopes Sunday's game will be one she can be proud of.

"A lot of my purpose is because of her and my drive, but even more so now," she said. "I just want to play and do really well for her, and bring joy into the sadness of my family."