Ebba Andersson took great strides last season, and SVT Sports experts had looked forward to following her development during the year.

But now they have to wait for it. Today, the message came that the knee injury she sustained in Bruksvallarna last week stops her from competing until the turn of the year.

- It's pretty boring for her, of course. She was so incredibly good last year and is in development. So it's clear that it's a tough blow for her, and she's had problems before. For the Swedish women's team she was the best distance runner last season, and that is also a serious blow, says Anders Blomquist.

Johanna Ojala agrees.

- She had a tremendously stable season last year, and I have been given indications that she has taken another step this year and been very strong this fall. So I had been looking forward to seeing her competition debut, both in Gällivare and the World Cup debut in Ruka, ”she says.

"An important period"

Just as the injury is coming now, when the season is just about to begin, Blomquist looks serious.

- This is an important period. You are on big training volumes this period to have a good season so that you can build up a form that you can ride on during the season. So it is clear that it is an important period for both training and competition for her, so it is not good, he says, and continues:

- But she has a great training background. And so I think she will rehab this inspired by what Stina did last year, so she will do everything she can. But she's had problems with this knee before, so it's a tough task.

- But she will do everything she can. No doubt.

Just that she had problems with the same knee before, is that something we should be worried about?

- Yes it is. It is in itself different types of damage maybe. An injured part of the body can sometimes become more nearly stronger than before when it heals, but it can also be that there is a weakness or something that causes it to recur in different ways - so slightly worried it is the same knee.

REPORTING: Ebba Andersson on Kalla's significance (November 12, 2019)

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Ebba Andersson and Charlotte Kalla. Photo: Photo Agency