United States Women's national team midfielder Catarina Macario will miss out on the 2023 World Cup as she's still recovering from an ACL tear.
The 23-year-old suffered the long-term injury last June while playing for her club team Lyon. Macario announced via social media that she "won’t be physically ready for selection" nearly a year after the injury.
"The desire to return to play for my club and country has driven my training and fueled my everyday life," she stated via an Instagram post. "However, what’s most important right now is my health and getting fit and ready for my next club season."
Despite not taking part in training for Lyon in April, Macario still expressed optimism about being fit in time for the World Cup. However, the recovery has taken longer that expected with the midfielder not featuring for Lyon at all this season.
With the USWNT looking to win their third straight championship, Macario will be supporting her teammates when they travel to Australia and New Zealand.
"I’ll be cheering hard for my teammates at the World Cup, and I look forward to dedicating myself to fight to earn a spot for what I hope will be a long future on the U.S. national team," she wrote.
Macario's injury is not the only long-term setback to hit the USWNT. Forward Christen Press, who was key in the 2015 and 2019 World Cup wins, is also still recovering from an ACL tear. The 34-year-old still hopes to recover in time for the tournament.
Forward Mallory Swanson, who suffered a torn torn patella tendon in her left knee just last month, will also not feature for the USWNT.
The USWNT hopes to make it three consecutive World Cup wins but faces a difficult task without three key players in the picture.
This article was originally published on 90min as USWNT's Catarina Macario ruled out of the Women's World Cup .
