Megan Rapinoe eligible for USWNT after ankle injury
Megan Rapinoe is back.
OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey confirmed that the US women’s national team figure has overcome the knock to her ankle, kicking off the club’s preseason training sessions with ‘no restrictions.’
The news comes just two days after the veteran was named to Vlatko Andonovski’s 23-player roster for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup, a friendly tournament between the USWNT, Canada, Japan and Brazil.
Concern over Rapinoe’s potential World Cup absence intensified after she missed the national team’s January camp due to her ankle injury, but she is now “back to training fully.”
“We managed her January with U.S. Soccer so that she would be able to basically be fully ready to go for SheBelieves [Cup],” explained Harvey, speaking to reporters via conference call. “I think that was always the plan. And yes, she’s fully integrated with the group.”
The 23 players called up will convene in Florida on February 6 to prepare for the tournament opener against Canada on February 16. The SheBelieves Cup stands as the last test for the US women’s national team before heading to New Zealand and Australia for the Women’s World Cup. The reigning World Cup champions face the Netherlands, Vietnam and an undetermined opponent in the tournament’s Group B.
Rapinoe’s return eases tension as the USWNT navigates an injury-laden roster, with Sam Mewis and Julie Ertz ruled out completely, and Catarina Mercario slated for an April return.
“She’s someone that we’re probably not going to be able to count on in the World Cup,” Andonovski said about Ertz before confirming Mewis’ omission as well.
“Everybody’s aware of where Sam Mewis is and that she’s not going to be able to play in the World Cup because of the injury or be eligible for selection. That’s something that we’ve known for a while, we just wanted to allow Sam to make a decision on when to make it public.”
The head coach will be forced to depend on Rose Lavelle, and experiment with younger figures like Ashley Sanchez and Taylor Kornieck.