Arsenal midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross will return to the Emirates Stadium for the first time since her mother, Jess, passed away from cancer two months ago. Jess, who was 45, succumbed to the illness in July, just months after Kyra was diagnosed with stage four cholangiocarcinoma, a rare type of cancer affecting the bile ducts. Kyra described learning of her mother's terminal diagnosis as the moment her world changed "forever." She took an indefinite compassionate leave from football to be with her mother during her final months. Cooney-Cross, the eldest of four sisters, was in England when her mother was diagnosed and immediately returned home to be with her. She said the time spent with her mother was something she "definitely needed," allowing her to "be present and being with my mum." She described the experience as "sad, but I think we also need to think of it as a beautiful thing as well." Cooney-Cross has credited her mother's sacrifices for helping shape her football career. Jess, a single mother of four girls, drove Kyra four times a week to train in Melbourne, each trip taking an hour and a half, despite "barely having money for fuel." Kyra said she does not even know "half of the sacrifices she's made" and wants to carry her mother's legacy "on and off the pitch." While spending time with her family, Cooney-Cross has been training back home, which she described as a "welcome distraction" from the emotional situation. She trained Monday to Friday with a one-on-one coach and had access to a gym, which helped her "feel more free and like I could escape from everything that was going on off the pitch." She said she knew that's what her mother would want and that she wanted to come back this season and be as fit as possible. Arsenal's support during her time away, including regular check-ins from head coach Renee Slegers and director of women's football Claire Wheatley, as well as emotional support from teammates, has been a key factor in her return. Cooney-Cross was an unused substitute in Arsenal's opening game of the season against Brighton. The last time her mother saw her play football was at the Emirates, and the midfielder hopes to make her proud when she returns to the stadium this weekend. She reads a message from her mother before every game, which she described as "so beautiful," and thinks about what her mother would say or do. She said a lot of her purpose is because of her mother and that her drive has only increased since her passing.