'We miss her and we love her' - USWNT star Andi Sullivan sends message to Christen Press as Women's World Cup winner undergoes fourth ACL surgery

• Press to undergo fourth ACL surgery
• USWNT team-mate Sullivan sends support
• World champions start title defence July 21

WHAT HAPPENED? Despite admitting hope at still making the 2023 Women's World Cup roster back in May, two-time world champion Press revealed on Monday that she will require a fourth surgery on the injury that she sustained just 13 months ago and Sullivan, one of the members of the USWNT for this month's tournament, sent a message to her during the team's media availability on Tuesday.

WHAT THEY SAID: "When I read that post yesterday... My heart aches for her," Sullivan, who herself has been through an ACL injury, told reporters. "Anytime that you're injured, the uncertainty of it all, it's hard enough when they say, 'This is your timeline'. It's so much harder when you think it's going to be a certain amount of time and there are obstacles that change that.

"I'm crushed for her and her ability to continue to hold out hope for herself was so admirable. She's been such an important part of this team on and off the field for years. I think Kelley [O'Hara] talked about legacy and things that are passed down from generation to generation - and I think Press is a huge part of that. So I think for her and other players who are out with injury, or who have been here before will be here in the future, I think we all feel that heart to win.

"We know that, yes, it's the 23 of us here who are going to get it done but also we know that there are so many more people who have prepared us in this cycle, in the past and in the future. We love Press and we wish her a full recovery. We miss her and we love her."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Press is one of dozens of top level players in the women's game to have suffered an ACL injury in recent years, with the likes Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead among those to be absent from this year's Women's World Cup as a result. The Angel City star, then, recently called for more to be done to address what is a very serious issue in the sport.

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IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? While Press focuses on recovering from her fourth surgery, the USWNT will kick off its World Cup campaign on July 21, starting its title defence with a group stage clash against Vietnam.