Alexia Putellas May Return After ACL Injury Against Chelsea At Camp Nou

The best women’s player in the world for the past two years, Alexia Putellas of FC Barcelona, could be set to return to action after nine months out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Chelsea in the second leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final on Thursday.

With the first leg to be played tomorrow in London – in front of a British record attendance in the competition of around 25,000 – Putellas was not named in the 26-player squad for the game at Stamford Bridge, but did travel with the rest of the party as part of her ongoing recovery process.

The stage is now set for Putellas to return for the second leg at Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe, as Barcelona hope to seal a place in a fourth Champions League final in five seasons. With around 50,000 tickets sold so far, that match could yet be played in front of another attendance of over 90,000 fans.

Speaking to the media ahead of the first leg, Barcelona coach Jonatan Giráldez said “That all the players are here is good news. It gives us a plus on a mental level. It’s not the time to talk about whether I’m optimistic or not, she has to come back in the best possible way. We’ll see how we get to the decisive match at Camp Nou.”

Putellas played a full part in the pre-match training session at Stamford Bridge ahead of the first leg, twisting and turning with all the speed associated with the top scorer in last season’s Women’s Champions League. Giráldez however was keen to dampen the expectation that she may start in the second leg. “I don’t want to put any pressure on Alexia. We’ll see, we’ll see how she is in training during the week and the decision will be made nearer the second leg.”

Even during her absence, Putellas has continued to be feted by the sporting world, retaining her awards as the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year Award, The Best FIFA Women’s Player of the Year Award and becoming the first women to win the coveted Ballon D’Or on two occasions.

Last week, Barcelona coach, Jonatan Giráldez said that Putellas was on the brink of returning to first-team training with the squad who are just one win from retaining the Spanish league title. With Barcelona already expelled from their domestic cup competition, the Copa de la Reina, the return of Putellas, the captain and top scorer for the Catalan team last season, has been timed for her to have a decisive influence on the club’s attempt to regain their European title which they won in 2021 by defeating Chelsea in the final.

For Putellas, it will be fitting to complete her recovery in London after incurring the injury which has kept her out of the entirety of this season so far in England last July. Training ahead of last summer’s UEFA Women’s Euro at Bisham Abbey, Putellas suffered a rupture to the anterior cruciate ligament of her left knee which put her out of the tournament she was expected to excel in.

Whether her return to fitness means she will play in this summer’s Women’s World Cup remains to be seen. Putellas was one of the players who has backed a player protest against the current Spain head coach Jorge Vilda, withdrawing their labor last autumn until working conditions within the federation are improved.

Injured at the time, Putellas was not one of the 15 players who sent an email outlining their concerns to the Spanish Federation in September, but is believed to have agreed with their sentiments. In recent months, other non-signatories, Jenni Hermoso and Irene Paredes, have returned to play for Spain under Vilda. The question of whether we will see the best women’s player in the world play at the premier women’s international tournament will be one of the most intriguing issues in the lead up to the World Cup in July.