WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2023
What role will Spain star Alexia Putellas play at the Women’s World Cup 2023?
The Barcelona playmaker only returned from an ACL injury at the end of the season but is expected to spearhead the Spanish challenge.
Alexia Putellas gave the Spanish national team a huge boost ahead of the Women’s World Cup 2023 by returning to their roster for the trip to Australia and New Zealand following a long layoff due to an ACL injury. What are her prospects for the tournament, though?
Putellas’ pre-World Cup training program
Every minute detail of the current Ballon d’Or holder’s return to action has been mapped out and Spain aren’t willing to take any risks with their star player, who has followed a tailored training program in the run-up to the World Cup, which has seen her alternate between training with her teammates and individually.
The schedule is designed to enable her to get back to somewhere near her best during the tournament, while not increasing the chances of a relapse. “Gearing up for New Zealand”, posted Alexia in an Instagram Story on Thursday. Although the Barcelona playmaker has kept a low profile in training, AS can confirm that she is feeling good about her fitness and ability to make an impact once the action gets underway, which is also the general feeling in the Spain camp.
Alexia slows down pace of return to action
During the first two weeks of preparation, Putellas was treated in the same way as her teammates. La Roja spent time training in Benidorm on the east coast of Spain before moving on to Madrid, and then Asturias in the north of the country to face Panama in a pre-tournament friendly on 29 June. Head coach Jorge Vilda surprised everyone by playing the midfielder from the start in the 7-0 win, before withdrawing her after 69 minutes. Alexia then featured for almost an hour in the 2-0 victory over Denmark in Copenhagen on 5 July. Everything appeared to be going smoothly.
After travelling to New Zealand, however, it was agreed that the pace of her return would be slowed to ensure there were no unexpected setbacks. After a long trip and with the World Cup just a few days away, Putellas has spent plenty of time in the gym rather than out on the training field. She didn’t feature in the final warm-up match against Vietnam on Thursday, instead saving herself for when the real action gets underway against Costa Rica on 21 July.