The Chelsea midfielder Sophie Ingle sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury during their pre-season match against Feyenoord, the Women’s Super League champions said on Monday.
The 33-year-old Wales captain was forced off in the second half of their 9-0 win over Feyenoord this month and will undergo surgery.
“Following assessment by the club’s medical team and a knee specialist, Sophie will soon undergo surgery before beginning a period of rehabilitation at the club,” Chelsea said in a statement.
Ingle is the latest to join the list of high-profile WSL players to sustain an ACL injury after Chelsea forward Sam Kerr and Manchester City midfielder Jill Roord. ACL injuries have been on the rise in women’s sports and in December last year Uefa introduced a women’s health expert panel to understand the rising cases of ACL injuries among female players.
The global players’ union Fifpro said an increased workload, travel and insufficient rest had contributed to an increase in injuries including torn ACLs among female professional players. Chelsea will host Aston Villa in their WSL opener on Friday.
Source: theguardian.com
