US World Cup star Morgan ruled out for rest of 2019 season

MIAMI: United States women´s soccer star Alex Morgan said Monday she would not play again this season as she aims to fix a knee injury that has bothered her since the World Cup.

The 30-year-old Orlando Pride forward, one of the most prominent players on the United States´ World Cup-winning team, made the announcement in a statement on her Instagram account.

"This year has had the highest of highs but along with that comes challenges and sometimes even falling short of my goals I set for myself in 2019," Morgan wrote.

"I´m disappointed I won´t be able to compete with the Pride for the remainder of 2019 due to a knee injury I´ve been managing since the World Cup, and that I can´t be there to help my teammates and my club have more success.

"I have already started physical therapy in LA and am eager to get back on the field doing what I love."

Morgan did not release further details of her injury.

The striker has been nursing the knock since she was substituted during the USA´s group game with Sweden at the World Cup in June.

She returned to feature in the remaining games of the tournament, however, scoring in the semi-final victory over England and playing in the final.

Morgan has had a history of knee injuries, suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament as a teenager in high school at the start of her career, and undergoing keyhole surgery on her right knee in 2015.