San Diego Wave has managed to grind out results without its talisman Alex Morgan. In the 3 games since her injury, the side has two wins and just one loss. However, the NWSL side performed better with Morgan and the team lacked that spark and creativity in the final third. As such, fans were desperate for news regarding their star player’s fitness. And through her social media update, the USWNT icon has calmed some nerves.

On her Instagram story, Alex Morgan uploaded an image of her injured ankle. She captioned, “Post-training ice for the ankle. Recover going well and hoping to be back V soon.” With her side languishing in 8th place, the update would have been music to the fan’s ears. It was in the match against Orlando Pride on April 20th where the 34-year-old got injured. Orlando Pride were leading 1-0 and Morgan decided to take matters into her own hands, albeit unsuccessfully.

In the dying moments of the game, Alex Morgan was involved in a goal scramble. In the process of fighting for the ball, she seemed to roll her left ankle. She immediately looked uncomfortable and was down for several minutes. Eventually, she received treatment on the pitch before limping on.

Soon after, head coach Casey Stoney issued a vague response when questioned on Morgan’s return date. She said, “She’s got an ankle injury and she’s out for this weekend. Then it’ll be week by week from there[this weekend].“ While Alex Morgan asserts that her recovery is going well, the USWNT is eyeing preparations for the Summer Olympics. Hence, unless she returns back to fitness soon, she could miss out on possibly her final USWNT tournament.

Ankle injury puts Alex Morgan’s Olympic dream at risk

In June, the USWNT plays 2 friendly games against South Korea and Mexico. This will act as a precursor to the Olympic games in July. For boss Emma Hayes, the matches will definitely help in her final team selection. However, at 34 years of age, Alex Morgan’s body won’t recover like a 20 year old. Hence, unless she regains her match fitness by June, Emma Fayes might be forced to look beyond her.

Previously Alex Morgan was quite vocal about participating in her 4th Olympics. She had said, “I’m still fighting for a spot. Every camp, every day. New players are coming up who completely deserve these call-ups. All I want to do is make it hard for them and just keep doing what I’m doing.” In the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, Morgan’s experience was pivotal in the USWNT’s triumph. But, will they be able to call on their veteran star for Paris 2024? The next month could tell the story.