Barcelona Captain Alexia Putellas to Undergo Knee Surgery
Barcelona’s captain and two-time Ballon d’Or winner, Alexia Putellas, will undergo knee surgery this week, according to an announcement from the club on Tuesday. Putellas, 29, has been sidelined since being taken off at halftime during Barcelona’s Champions League victory over Benfica on November 14th. As a result, she has missed the team’s last seven matches.
The injury occurred when Putellas suffered an ACL tear in her left knee just days before the scheduled start of the 2022 European Championship. This forced her to miss the tournament and kept her out of action for the following 10 months. Now, Barcelona has confirmed that Putellas will undergo an arthroscopy on her left knee on December 27th.
The club stated, “Barcelona women’s football star Alexia Putellas is undergoing an arthroscopy on her left knee on Wednesday, December 27th. The club will provide an official medical update once the operation is completed.”
Concerns were initially raised about the severity of Putellas’ injury, but tests have indicated that it is not a serious issue. However, further advice was sought to determine the source of the ongoing problem. Ultimately, surgery was deemed necessary.
Putellas’ contract with Barcelona is set to expire at the end of the current season, along with several of her teammates. Barcelona head coach Jonatan Giraldez has already announced that he will leave the club at the end of this season. Additionally, sporting director Markel Zubizarreta departed a few months ago. However, defender Mapi Leon recently signed a new contract through 2026.
Since joining Barcelona from Levante in 2012, Putellas has made 408 appearances for the club, scoring 184 goals. She has won 25 trophies during her time at Barcelona, including seven Liga F titles and two Champions Leagues.
On the international stage, Putellas has been capped 113 times for Spain, scoring 30 goals. In September 2022, she played a crucial role in supporting the group of players known as ‘Las 15′ and acted as a mediator between the players and the Spanish FA to address concerns about their mental and physical health.
For more in-depth coverage of Alexia Putellas’ journey, check out “Barcelona and Spain’s Alexia Putellas, the full story: ‘She reminds me of Busquets and Iniesta. She is gold in every way'”.
(Catherine Ivill – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)