FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Nations League - Group D - Spain v Switzerland - Estadio Municipal Nuevo El Arcangel, Cordoba, Spain - September 26, 2023 Spain's Inma Gabarro reacts REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo/File Photo
(Reuters) - Everton forward Inma Gabarro sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury during their 1-0 Women's Super League (WSL) home loss to Manchester United last weekend, the Merseyside club said on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old Spain international, who joined Everton in the close-season, joins a long list of WSL players to face a spell on the sidelines due to an ACL injury.
Last week, Gabarro's teammate Aurora Galli picked up the same injury. Chelsea trio Sam Kerr, Sophie Ingle, Mia Fishel, and Manchester City midfielder Jill Roord are among those who have been sidelined with a similar injury.
"A scan this week confirmed Gabarro's injury and the 21-year-old will now undergo rehabilitation under the care of Everton's medical team," the club said on X.
According to a report by global soccer players' union FIFPRO, increased workload and travel and insufficient rest have contributed to an increase in injuries, including torn ACLs, among women's professional players.
In December, European soccer's governing body, UEFA, introduced a women's health expert panel to seek a deeper understanding of ACL injuries and their occurrence in the women's game.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
