Marta won’t return to the pitch with the Orlando Pride this season after tearing her ACL last week during a 1-0 loss to the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL Challenge Cup.
The Pride placed Marta on the season-ending injury list on Friday and announced that she will undergo surgery at the Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute.
UPDATE: Orlando Pride Forward Marta Placed on Season Ending Injury List.Details: https://t.co/WQKLBmxZHo #AdAstra pic.twitter.com/SfGSJevaJh— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) April 1, 2022
UPDATE: Orlando Pride Forward Marta Placed on Season Ending Injury List.Details: https://t.co/WQKLBmxZHo #AdAstra pic.twitter.com/SfGSJevaJh
“We’re absolutely heartbroken for Marta,” Orlando Pride general manager Ian Fleming said in a statement. “She’s an incredible leader and we’ll of course miss that on the field this season. But if you know anything about Marta, she will face this challenge head on like she does with each training or game, and we know she’ll do all she can to continue leading the team off the field. We look forward to helping her through this recovery so she’s back even stronger.”
Marta, a captain, was a critical piece of the Pride’s midfield and one of their last-standing veterans after the club traded away several franchise players during the offseason.