USWNT's Catarina Macario to miss Paris Olympics due to injury, to be replaced by Lynn Williams

U.S. Women's National Team head coach Emma Hayes announced Friday that due to "constant irritation" in her right knee, Catarina Macario will miss the Paris Games this July.

The Chelsea forward, who was sidelined for nearly two years until with an ACL injury that took her 22 months to recover from. Now, just months back from her return to the pitch, she's set to miss the marquee event of the year for the USWNT.

The USOPC, IOC and FIFA confirmed Friday that Macario will be replaced by Lynn Williams on the 18-person roster for the Olympic tournament.

Williams, who was originally listed as an alternate, will be replaced on the alternate list by Emily Sams. The 25-year-old defender earned her first cap in June as a training player, and will now depart for the Paris Games with the U.S. roster.

Macario, meanwhile, will work through rehabilitation as she looks to get back to her best.

Posting on X, she revealed that she is "gutted" to not feature in the tournament this summer.

Williams is a near like-for-like change with Macario, with the Gotham FC and USWNT veteran coming into the fray. She has 18 goals in 63 career caps with the USWNT.

The USWNT will take on Mexico and Costa Rica in a pair of pre-Olympic friendlies before departing for Paris. Macario, meanwhile, will coordinate with both the U.S. and her club, Chelsea FC, about her next steps.