Women’s football star Alexia Putellas has been heartbreakingly ruled out of Euro 2022 just a day before it was due to kick off, after an injury in training was shown to be an anterior cruciate ligament rupture, which will leave her sidelined for almost a year.
Putellas is one of the stars of world football, and the midfielder is also Spain’s record cap holder having become the first woman to reach 100 international appearances.
The Barcelona captain was expected to star at the tournament, and as the current holder of the Ballon D’or, she was a major reason that the Spanish women’s side had emerged as favourites for the tournament, which begins on July 6th.
2HNRXD3 MIDDLESBROUGH, UK. FEB 17TH Alexia Putellas of Spain celebrates after scoring their first goal during the Arnold Clark Cup match between Germany and Spain at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough on Thursday 17th February 2022. (Credit: Mark Fletcher | MI News)L Credit: MI News & Sport /Alamy Live News
However, training the day before the tournament opener, she picked up an injury which, following scans, emerged as a ruptured ACL.
🔴 OFICIAL I Alexia Putellas sufre una rotura del ligamento cruzado anterior de su rodilla izquierda.
🔗 https://t.co/lwuEvQm6wC pic.twitter.com/JeYmSRIhmP
— Selección Española Femenina de Fútbol (@SEFutbolFem) July 5, 2022
Her absence from the Spanish side has seen them drift out as favourites for the tournament, with Putellas’ teammates now only just ahead of the England Lionesses according to oddschecker.
