USWNT Captain Becky Sauerbrunn to miss World Cup due to foot injury

The injury bug continues to bite the USWNT, but this time in a major way.

The USWNT’s longtime defender and captain, Becky Sauerbrunn, will not be included on the team’s roster for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, which starts in a month.

The Athletic first reported the news.

Becky Sauerbrunn, aged 38, has been a part of the USWNT team that won two World Cups - one in 2019 and the other in 2015 and was a huge piece in the team’s quest for an unprecedented World Cup three-peat. She has also won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics. Sauerbrunn has made 216 appearances for the USWNT.

Sauerbrunn is recovering from a foot injury she suffered in April, causing her to miss some time from playing for her NWSL club team, the Portland Thorns.

She recently made a comeback as a second-half substitute in their June 3 match against OL Reign, but did not play in their June 11 game against the Orlando Pride. Before that match, the league had listed Sauerbrunn as questionable in their availability report.

This is another significant player who has been ruled out of the 2023 World Cup.

Catarina Macario, a star forward, was officially ruled out last month due to an ACL injury she sustained last June.

Sam Mewis underwent knee surgery in January, which ruled her out of the NWSL season. In April, Mallory Swanson suffered a knee injury while playing for her club squad, the Washington Spirit, which ruled her out for the World Cup.

Head coach, Vlatko Andonovski, will soon reveal his 23-player squad and has already informed the players about their inclusion. Sources suggest that Kelley O’Hara, an experienced defender, is likely to make it to the final roster.