Utah Royals defender Kelly O’Hara to miss 8-12 weeks with right ankle surgery
U.S. defender Kelly O'Hara (5) plays against New Zealand during the first half of an international friendly soccer match in Commerce City, Colo., Friday, Sept. 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Utah Royals defender Kelly O’Hara underwent arthroscopic surgery Tuesday to repair “loose bodies” in her right ankle, USA Soccer announced. She is expected to miss 8-12 weeks.
"It’s all good. These kinds of things come with the territory,” O’Hara said in a statement. “This is just the best time to get the procedure done so I’m one hundred percent heading into 2019 and physically ready to perform at the level I want to and need to. It’s a bummer that I won’t get to Europe, but the most important thing is to be healthy for next year.”
O’Hara recently played four games for the U.S. Women’s National Team that qualified for the Women’s World Cup after winning all four of its qualifying matches in the Concacaf Women’s Championship.
Ohara’s recovery timeline will cause her to miss the U.S. team’s trip Europe in November for its final games of the season.
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