Injury agony for Matilda
MATILDAS star Elise Kellond-Knight is in danger of missing next year’s Olympic Games after suffering a serious knee injury.
The 29-year-old midfielder tore her ACL while playing for her Swedish club Kristianstads DFF against Rosengard.
With the Olympics a year away, Kellond-Knight will be in a race against time to prove her fitness for the tournament.
“Well that sucks. Confirmed ACL. The last 12 months were already the toughest by far … but looks like things can always get worse. Finding appreciation for other things in my life. Football can be the cruellest, yet we still love it,” tweeted Kellond-Knight, who has struggled with hamstring and back problems in the past year.
Matildas coach Ante Milicic was adamant the former Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City star would “leave no stone unturned” in making a full recovery from her knee injury.
“`KK’ is an important member of the Matildas squad and family, and while she will remain in Europe to start her rehabilitation, she knows that the full support of the FFA medical and sports science departments are available to her day and night,” Milicic said.
Gold Coast-born Kellond
Knight has made 112 appearances for the Matildas and was named in the FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Star Team in 2011 and 2015.
There is better news for Kellond-Knight’s Matildas teammate Mackenzie Arnold, who has joined English Women’s Super League club West Ham.
Capped 24 times for the national team, former Roar goalkeeper Arnold is “delighted” to sign for the Hammers.
“I feel like this move has been something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time, and I don’t think I could have ended up at a more perfect team for me,” Arnold told the club’s website.
“(Coach) Matt (Beard), the staff and the girls have been so welcoming already and I can’t wait to get over to England to start training all together.”