'If this was the men's side people would be trying to solve this' - USWNT star Christen Press on the ACL crisis in the women's game

• Press one of countless ACL injuries in women's game
• Macario, Mead, Miedema, Putellas other recent ones
• USWNT star calls for more action to address crisis

WHAT HAPPENED? Press is just one name on an incredibly long list of those who have suffered ACL injuries in the women's game recently, alongside the likes of USWNT team-mate Catarina Macario, Ballon d'Or winners Alexia Putellas and Ada Hegerberg, plus the Arsenal quartet of Vivianne Miedema, Beth Mead, Leah Williamson and Laura Wienroither.

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WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking on ESPN show Futbol Americas, Press was asked about the sheer volume of these long-term injuries that are happening right now.

"I think the amount of ACL injuries in professional women's soccer in the last two years has just been shocking," the forward, who has been sidelined since June of last year because of the setback, said.

"I think if the caliber of players, from Beth Mead to Miedema to Alexia, in every league, international players doing double duty, stars, if this happened on the men's side, we would've immediately seen a reaction of how are we going to solve this and figure this out and make sure that these players are going to be available at the biggest moments of their career."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: This summer's Women's World Cup is going to be without many of the sport's biggest stars because of ACL injuries and, yet, there is still a huge lack of research into how to help prevent them from sweeping through the women's game.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

Getty

Getty Images

Getty Images

WHAT NEXT? Press is currently focused on her own recovery and admitted on the show that she hopes she will be back soon, as she hasn't yet given up on making the USWNT's World Cup roster.