San Diego Wave forward and U.S. women’s national team star Alex Morgan suffered a left ankle injury during an NWSL matchup against the Orlando Pride on Friday, causing her to exit the game.
The incident occurred in a goal-line scramble, during which Morgan took a hard tackle. She then limped off the field.
The 34-year-old has appeared in four NWSL games this season but has yet to score a goal.
Any serious injury to Morgan’s ankle would put her involvement in the USWNT’s 2024 Olympic campaign in doubt. That tournament kicks off in France in just under 100 days, and any structural damage or even a severe sprain could mean Morgan will either miss the tournament outright, or at least face a race against time to get match fit before the tournament.
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At the very least, it will make Morgan a potential doubt for the next USWNT international window, which will be the first under new manager Emma Hayes. That window begins in just over a month on May 28, and will see the U.S. play two games against South Korea in their final tune-ups ahead of the Olympics.
Morgan has continued to be an influential figure for the U.S. as it transitions to a new era featuring a number of younger players ahead of Hayes’ arrival. The forward was a late call-up as an injury replacement for the 2024 Gold Cup, and ended up starting all but one game and scoring twice as the U.S. went on to win the competition. She started both games in the SheBelieves Cup earlier this month, as the U.S. won that competition on penalties over Canada.
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(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
