Alex Morgan says she'll be healthy for Women's World Cup

Alex Morgan has been out for the better part of a month with a bone bruise on her knee, but she insists that she'll be ready for the start of the Women's World Cup. The striker dismissed concerns that her absence from the United States' last two friendlies are indicative of a potential problem in Canada.

"My knee is doing well, thank you for asking," Morgan told reporters on Wednesday. "I've been doing a lot better and I'm still day-to-day. Once June 8 comes, there's no question in my mind that my knee will not be bothering me. I'll be 100%.

"I'm looking forward to the World Cup and knowing that's not going to set me back at all."

Morgan has not played in a match since the Portland Thorns' season opener on April 11 and her bone bruise has limited her in practice since World Cup training camp started. Jill Ellis originally said that she hoped Morgan would play in the Americans' final pre-World Cup friendly on May 30 against South Korea, but the striker's status for Saturday is in doubt now too.

If Morgan doesn't play this weekend, she'll go to the World Cup having not played a match in two months. Even if she has been medically cleared by then and feels no pain or discomfort in her knee, that's a big layoff and expecting her to be match fit would be unrealistic. At that point, she'd be using the tournament to get her fitness up, which means that the rest of the team will have to pick up the slack up front in the group stage and hope that Morgan can be ready to go at her best by the knockout stages.