Injuries

Carlo Ancelotti has created some controversy following his statements in Real Madrid’s press conference on Friday, with the Italian manager giving no answer as to which goalkeeper he would plan on playing in a hypothetical Champions League final: Lunin or Courtois.

This weekend will see the return of starting Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois after missing all what has been played in the 2023-24 season due to an ACL and meniscus injury. He will start in their home LaLiga bout against Cadiz this Saturday.

United States' Sergino Dest will miss the Copa America after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), with the defender confirming he will undergo surgery soon.

Dest, who has spent this season on loan at PSV Eindhoven from Barcelona, suffered the injury late last month while training with the Dutch club.

"Unfortunately I've torn my ACL, I will have an operation soon and will try to come back as soon as possible to my top level. It will be a difficult time for me," Dest said in a video posted on social media.

United States men’s national team fans received devastating news that star right back Sergiño Dest is expected to miss this summer’s Copa América after suffering a major knee injury.

PSV announced that Dest will miss the rest of the season with The Athletic reporting the American will be out nine months and might not return for a year.

Gotham FC and United States women’s national team forward Midge Purce is out for the season and unavailable for this summer’s Olympics after suffering an ACL injury.

Purce was substituted in the first half of her side’s 1-0 victory against the Portland Thorns on Sunday after picking up an injury.

The 28-year-old confirmed on social media that she had sustained an ACL injury and will be out for an extended period.

Midge Purce ACL injury

Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario will make their long-awaited returns to the United States women’s national team after missing an extended period due to knee injuries.

Swanson’s last USWNT game was April 8, 2023, against the Republic of Ireland. During that game she suffered a gruesome torn patella tendon.

Macario returns after nearly two years with her previous national team appearance being a friendly vs. Uzbekistan on April 12, 2022. She tore her ACL that summer with her previous club Lyon.

The United States women’s national team was hit with a major injury blow on Monday when striker Mia Fishel tore her ACL in her right knee during training. Alex Morgan will fill Fishel’s spot on the USWNT’s roster.

Fishel’s injury came one day before the USWNT play their opening match in the inaugural Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup.

Mia Fishel ACL injury

Inter Miami’s horrible preseason tour had its next devasting chapter on Wednesday in Japan as the Herons lost to J-League side Vissel Kobe 4-3 on penalties, Sergio Busquets suffered a nasty injury and Lionel Messi laughed at a teammate for missing a penalty.

Messi laughing at Robert Taylor’s missed penalty kick was one of the most discussed moments of the friendly game.

Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be playing against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami on Thursday due to a calf injury said Al Nassr head coach Luis Castro. 

Castro said that Ronaldo is in the final stages of his recovery and won’t be able to play in the friendly. Many fans had dubbed the game as the “Last Dance” between two of the greatest soccer players the world has ever seen.

Why is Ronaldo not playing vs Messi’s Inter Miami

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have cancelled their two-game China tour after the forward suffered an injury, the Saudi club said on Tuesday, sparking concern over the Portuguese's participation in their upcoming encounter against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami.

Al-Nassr were scheduled to play Shanghai Shenhua on Jan. 24 and Zhejiang four days later, with both games now postponed.

Legendary United States women’s national team midfielder Sam Mewis has announced her retirement from professional soccer at 31 years old.

Mewis, who won the World Cup with the USWNT in 2019, said that her prolonged knee injury is the reason for hanging up her boots.

The initial knee injury took place in 2017 and was a serious issue with her knee cartilage. She battled through the injury and competed in the 2019 World Cup and 2020 Olympics, but needed another surgery in January 2023.