Midfielder Emily van Egmond will have season-ending surgery on her left ankle, the Orlando Pride announced on Aug. 15. The Australian national-teamer started seven of her eight appearances this season, totaling one assist in 628 minutes.
“We are obviously very upset to lose Emily for the remainder of the season,” Pride General Manager Erik Ustruck said, per an official press release. “As a club, we know that Emily is a world-class athlete, and she has the mental capacity to push herself beyond her physical limitations, but her long-term health is our biggest priority.
“We wish her the best and look forward to her full recovery.”
The 26-year-old van Egmond injured her ankle in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She will return to Australia for her surgery.
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van Egmond played her first season for the Pride last year. Since joining, she’s appeared in 25 matches and totaled an assist in each of her first two seasons in purple.
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The Pride (3-10-2, 11 points) will host the fifth-place Utah Royals (7-6-3, 24 points) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Utah shut out Orlando in each of their last two meetings, winning by a total score of 3-0. Both teams first met in 2019 on April 27 in Exploria Stadium, and the Royals won 1-0.
For more on the Pride, as they attempt a last-ditch, end-of-season run, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
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