Alexia Putellas makes significant step forward in ongoing ACL recovery

Barcelona star Alexia Putellas made a huge step forward on Friday in her ongoing recovery from an ACL injury suffered on the eve of Euro 2022 as she started running on grass for the first time.

Moving onto grass is always a significant part of ACL rehab and Barcelona shared footage of Putellas gently jogging at the club’s training centre as she now begins to steadily increase her workload.

Largely as a result of Barcelona’s rise, Spain were among the pre-tournament favourites to win Euro 2022. But La Roja crashed out to eventual winners England in the quarter-finals, having lost both Putellas and striker Jenni Hermoso to injury before the competition kicked off.

With ACL recoveries typically last anywhere from six to 12 months, it raised concerns over whether Putellas would be fit in time for the 2023 World Cup. But moving up to grass now is a good sign that she will be available. Whether she goes or not may well be down to something else.

As things stand seven months out from the World Cup, Spain are in limbo regarding the ongoing controversy surrounding coach Jorge Vilda.

Injured and therefore out of contention anyway, Putellas was not thought to be among the 15 players who each sent an email to the Spanish football federation in September declaring themselves unavailable for selection but has publicly supported her teammates’ position since.

Despite missing out on the chance to play at Euro 2022, Putellas had already done enough with Barcelona during the 2021/22 club season to win the Ballon d’Or Feminin for the second year in a row.

Putellas also recently became the first player to top The Guardian’s annual list of the 100 best female footballers in the world two years in a row, placing first in both 2021 and 2022.