Alexia Putellas: Ballon d’Or winner suffers knee injury one day before Euro 2022 starts

The world’s best female player faces tests to determine whether she will feature at the finals in England

(Getty Images)

Spain midfielder and women’s Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas has injured her knee ahead of the women’s European Championship, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) said on Tuesday.

Putellas, who was also named the Fifa Best Women’s Player earlier this year, was at the heart of the Barcelona women’s team which won the Spanish league and finished runners-up in the Champions League.

She was the top scorer in the Champions League with 11 goals while she also finished with 18 strikes in the league.

“Alexia Putellas suffered a sprain in her left knee during the training session of the Spanish women’s national team,” RFEF said in a statement.

“Medical tests will determine the extent of the injury.”

Spain, one of the favourites to lift the Euros, begin their group stage campaign against Finland in Milton Keynes, England on Friday.

Germany and Denmark are also in Group B, tagged the group of death in this year’s competition.

Putellas has won 100 caps for the senior side - a national record for the women’s team - and would be at the heart of the team’s plans to triumph at Euro 2022.

Additional reporting by Reuters