When U.S. women’s national team coach Vlatko Andonovski announced his squad’s roster for the upcoming friendly matches against Germany, he also provided updates on 10 players who have been absent, including some predictions of when fans can expect their returns.

Julie Ertz

It’s been more than a year since soccer fans have seen Ertz on the field. The 30-year-old midfielder gave birth to a son in early August, and the team is not rushing her into a comeback, Andonovski said.

The coach also did not offer a possible timetable.

“She’s enjoying motherhood and she’s happy and doing a great job at it,” he said. “We want to give Julie time to get back slowly. We won’t even discuss it. This is time for Julie to enjoy time with her family, and when the time comes, if she is anywhere near her best, this team will welcome her back.”

Catarina Macario

The 23-year-old midfielder tore her ACL in June and underwent surgery soon afterward. She is expected to return in early 2023 after at least six months of recovery.

She is working on her recovery at a FIFA rehab center in Qatar, Andonovski said.

“She has been recovering very well,” he said. “Last week she started doing some running and jumping for the first time. … As of right now it is hard to predict exactly when she will be back. We do have some idea based on how the progress is going.”

Andonovski anticipates having Macario back in February, as long as there are no setbacks in her rehab process, he said. Macario provided a similar timeline last week, saying she “would like to start ramping it up in February and March and just go from there.”

Tierna Davidson

Another player battling an ACL injury, Davidson sustained her tear during an April training session ahead of the NWSL season. The 24-year-old was the youngest player to represent the United States in the 2019 World Cup when she was 20.

Davidson has the potential to return for the 2023 World Cup, Andonovski said — and if she does, the defender has the ability to be a starter.

“She is looking really good,” he said. “We expect her to be back in full in the middle of November.”

Abby Dahlkemper

Dahlkemper is recovering from a third consecutive injury. She missed the SheBelieves Cup in February with a back injury, then broke two ribs in May. Just before the San Diego Wave competed in their NWSL quarterfinal, the team announced Dahlkemper would miss the playoffs with a back injury.

The 29-year-old defender played in just eight regular-season matches for the Wave, and Andonovski said her return will take a while yet, as her latest back injury requires surgery.

“We are just hoping everything goes well,” he said. “We will know more about what the return is going to be for her once she has the surgery.”

Casey Krueger

The 32-year-old defender gave birth to a baby boy in July, and Andonovski said Krueger is in the same situation as Ertz: The team wants to give her as much time as she wants to recover and enjoy motherhood.

Krueger has been training, though, and she worked out with her NWSL squad this month.

“She actually did some training with Chicago Red Stars before they got eliminated, and she is in training with a group of players from Chicago even after the season,” Andonovski said.

Emily Sonnett

After sustaining a foot injury during the Concacaf W Championship, Sonnett remains out for the rest of 2022.

Andonovski does expects the 28-year-old defender to be available for selection in January, he said.

Kelley O’Hara

O’Hara continues to rehab a nagging hip injury after missing September’s friendlies against Nigeria as well as October’s trip to England and Spain. The 34-year-old defender is working through physical therapy and should be available in January as well, Andonovski said.

Lynn Williams

The forward tore her hamstring during the NWSL preseason and has been out ever since.

The 29-year-old had a slight setback to her recovery, according to Andonovski, but he also anticipates her return in January.

Tobin Heath

The OL Reign forward suffered a season-ending injury in September and had surgery on her left knee shortly after that. Andonovski said she is “recovering,” but the coach didn’t provide any other details.

Christen Press

After playing just eight games for Angel City FC to start the NWSL season, Press tore her ACL. The 33-year-old forward missed the remainder of the year.

Andonovski expects her return to be in line or slightly behind that of Macario, he said.

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins breaks down the newly reported indefinite absence of NWSL star Trinity Rodman from the Washington Spirit, with the 22-year-old attacker rehabbing an ongoing back injury that could reshape the prospects of both the Spirit and the USWNT.

Calling her "the face of the NWSL," Watkins details the Spirit star's long-term back injury, which has led Rodman to seek treatment with a team doctor in London — all while acknowledging that she doesn't think her "back will ever be 100%."

Watkins digs into the potential contributing factors to Rodman's current injury status, including the USWNT's heavy use of the forward during the 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning run in Paris — and whether the team will make different decisions going forward due to the fallout on players like Rodman.

"I'm really curious if [USWNT manager Emma] Hayes and her coaching staff will adjust the way they approach strikers in the future, or forwards in the future, or rotation — or if this is just one of those many stories of a player giving it all for the United States and living with the consequences," says Watkins.

As for Washington, Watkins note that — in the wake of copious injuries — the Spirit is still finding ways to win, with club owner Michele Kang and the coaching staff shrewdly managing the depleted roster.

"I think they would be a juggernaut if they were healthy, but they can win pretty, they can win ugly," notes Watkins.

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'An NWSL breaking point'

Watkins also points out that she thinks Rodman's choice to seek treatment in London could be significant, as the forward is currently in a contract year.

With multiple NWSL standouts recently defecting to European clubs, Watkins argues that the US league is hitting a "breaking point" when it comes to retaining top players.

"I am just really, really curious if, by the end of this season, this situation has led Rodman back to the Spirit or if this is the beginning of a player having to progress forward in a different environment," Watkins sums up.

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

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There's a traffic jam in the middle of the NWSL standings, with this weekend's slate bound to create some distance among mid-table teams jockeying to break free from the pack.

Between rising underdogs and top-dog rivalries, expect the 2025 NWSL season's sixth matchday to leave it all on the field:

• No. 2 Orlando Pride vs. No. 6 Angel City, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): With both teams coming off demoralizing losses last weekend, the 2024 NWSL champs will fight to bounce back against the LA upstarts in Friday's marquee matchup.

• No. 10 Houston Dash vs. No. 11 Utah Royals, Friday at 8 PM ET (NWSL+): Tied up at four points apiece, the pair of struggling teams just below playoff contention on the NWSL table will battle for a boost above the cutoff line as the recently sold Royals take a trip to Texas on Friday.

• No. 3 Washington Spirit vs. No. 4 Gotham FC, Saturday at 1 PM ET (CBS): This week's top-table showdown features two injury-struck East Coast rivals getting rowdy at Audi — can Gotham turn things around or will Washington keep persevering?

• No. 9 Bay FC vs. No. 8 Seattle Reign, Saturday at 10 PM ET (ION): Seattle holds a slim tie-break over Bay FC as both teams hug the playoff line, with the Reign looking to build on last week’s Cascadia Clash victory over Portland.

This weekend has the potential to divide the contenders from the pretenders, while the league's top three clubs continue to hold court over the rest of the field.

Saturday's soccer lineup underlines a brewing East Coast rivalry, as the Washington Spirit hosts Gotham FC for the first time since knocking the Bats out of the 2024 NWSL semifinals.

"Just playing against them, you feel that fire," Spirit forward Makenna Morris told JWS this week, with Washington's Audi Field anticipating a large crowd for Saturday's match.

Both clubs know each other well, with 2021 NWSL champions Washington and 2023 trophy-winners Gotham seeing a number of big-name players migrating between New York and DC in recent years.

After finishing 2024 in the league's top four, both teams continue to lurk near the top of NWSL table this season, cementing the idea that the best rivalries blossom between winning sides.

"The [team] that poses the most challenge to you, it just makes you want to beat them so bad," said Washington midfielder Gabby Carle.

"You hate to play them because they're good, but you also love it because it's so competitive," echoed Morris.

Ultimately, familiarity is breeding healthy resentment between two of the NWSL's winningest sides, providing a little extra incentive to secure all three points in this weekend’s matchup.

How to watch NWSL rivals Washington vs. Gotham this weekend

The Spirit will host East Coast rival Gotham at 1 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage of the 2024 NWSL semifinals rematch airing on CBS.

As the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL) wraps up its two-leg semifinals on Sunday, the English teams still in the running find themselves on the brink of elimination from Europe's most prestigious club competition.

Facing a 4-1 deficit against reigning champs Barcelona, Chelsea will aim to close the gap — and keep their historic quadruple hopes alive — at home this weekend.

Meanwhile, Arsenal will try to overcome a more manageable 2-1 deficit against eight-time Champions League winners Lyon, traveling to France to keep their UWCL campaign alive.

An English side hasn't won the UWCL since 2007, when Arsenal took home the WSL's lone European championship trophy.

"Huge respect for their history and what they have been doing and producing in the Champions League, in Europe," Arsenal manager Renée Slegers said of Lyon. "I think they're still a very strong side."

"Subconsciously, you always have that thing when you fall short, like last year," said Lyon midfielder and USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps, reflecting back on last season’s title loss to Barcelona. "You lose a game, you lose a tournament – the feeling is there until you're back in the the games that can fix that feeling."

How to watch the 2024/25 Champions League semifinals

Sunday's second leg of the 2024/25 Champions League semifinals kicks off with Chelsea vs. Barcelona at 9 AM ET, before Arsenal faces Lyon at 12 PM ET.

Both matches will air live on DAZN.