USWNT's Christen Press hopes to recover from injury in time for World Cup

Christen Press is hopeful of a making a recovery from her ACL tear back to be ready in time for the United States women's national team at the 2023 World Cup.

Press tore her ACL last summer while playing for Angel City FC, exiting the pitch unable to walk. Though the process has been difficult for the star figure, riddled with surgeries and rehabilitation sessions, she continues to target the Women's World Cup.

"1 knee. 8 months. 3 surgeries. My unique journey. Relentless optimism + enduring hope. Little wins. Letting go," she said on Instagram.

With the 2023 World Cup is quickly approaching, it seems Press is racing against time to be fit for the tournament. However, she isn't losing hope amidst a recovery, revealing it's "a bit longer than I had hoped."

"It has been a unique recovery journey. I’ve had some setbacks and I’ve had some ups and downs. I think that’s normal. I think this took a bit longer than I had hoped up until now. But I’m in the final stretch of my recovery. I’m starting to feel like myself again, getting my body back. Hopefully I’ll be joining the team soon," she said.

"There has never been a moment where I lost hope or took my focus off of the World Cup from the moment that I got injured until now. It’s the North Star for all of us professional players and it’s a motivation."

Press added: "Obviously, the timing is really tough but I’m doing everything I can to get back as quickly as possible because it would be a dream come true to represent my country again at that level."

Press last appeared for the USWNT in the 2021 Olympics and took some time off after the tournament to focus on her mental well-being. The USWNT's roster is expected to be released in a couple of weeks.