The U.S. Women’s National Team appears to have dodged a bullet in regards to one of its most important players.
After sustaining an injury with club side Houston Dash on Saturday, midfielder Carli Lloyd is set to miss three-to-six weeks. An MRI revealed the reigning FIFA Women’s Player of the Year suffered a Grade 1 MCL sprain, in addition to a slight hamstring pull.
“I would like to thank everyone for their well wishes. Obviously, I’m very disappointed with the injury. I was feeling great and starting to get comfortable with my Dash teammates,” Lloyd said in the Dash’s official release. “The timing is not great but I’m confident that I will come back in peak condition. Rehab starts tomorrow and you’ll see me on the field soon.”
The 33-year-old will not need surgery, giving her more than ample time to recover before this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Lloyd exited this weekend’s clash against the Orlando Pride in the fourth minute after a non-contact injury. She continued to play for another nine minutes, before being substituted off.
The USWNT will kick off their run at the 2016 Olympics on Aug. 3 in Group G play against New Zealand. The U.S. will round out group play against France and Colombia.
Are you still concerned about Lloyd’s status ahead of the Olympics?
Share your thoughts below.
…and this is why I’m not a doctor. I did stay in a Holiday Inn once, though.
Carli & the USWNT dodged a bullet on that one. Based on the video, the slightly pulled (actually a
strain) hamstring would have appeared to be the probable result of the motion involved. The fact that there was also a level 1 (mild) sprain to her MCL (which would be the equivalent of turning your ankle when jumping around) is an indicator that there is a lot of wear and tear to her knee, and
that she should be considered fragile from here on to the end of her career. Same for Megan Rapino after 3 ACL tears. While the USWNT should end up OK when she recovers, her NWSL
team could find themselves out of contention by the time she is back.