Kansas City Current and United States women’s national team defender Alana Cook tore the ACL, MCL and meniscus in her left knee last week, the Current announced on Thursday.
“Alana has made a big impact for our club on and off the pitch in a short period of time, and our hearts absolutely break for her,” Kansas City head coach Vlatko Andonovski said in a statement.
“Throughout her career, Alana has proven to be determined, resilient and disciplined with an optimistic spirit. We are confident she will carry those same attributes into her recovery process. The team will stand by her every step of the way, and we eagerly await the day she is able to join us on the pitch again.”
Cook has 30 caps with the USWNT. Her consistent form since arriving in Kansas City via a trade last summer earned her a recall to the team in April. She played in one of the matches against Brazil, marking her first international appearance since October 2023.
Cook exited the field in the 62nd minute of Kansas City’s 1-0 win over Orlando on May 16. The victory opened a four-point lead atop the NWSL table for Kansas City, but it came at a steep cost.
Brazilian playmaker Debinha and 2024 NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga also exited the match due to injuries.
Debinha wrote on her Instagram account on Wednesday that the injury would keep her out for “a while.” Andonovski told media on Wednesday that Debinha won’t be back “until after the summer.” The NWSL resumes from its summer break in August.
Chawinga was still being evaluated, Andonovski said on Wednesday. The coach said after last week’s match that Chawinga’s injury is related to the one that has bothered her throughout the year. The Current have declined to specify what the injury is.
