Alexia Putellas, Ballon d'Or and star of Spain, breaks the cruciate 24 hours before the start of the European Championship

The big blow to the

came just before it started.

A 'crack' in training that led to concern, more pain during the day and a resonance that resolved the worst news for

24 hours before the start of the

Championship ,

European Championship:

,

, suffers a serious knee injury and will not play the tournament.

At

, in the best moment of her professional career, captain, star and light of a squad that dreamed of lifting the first continental crown in its history, the

of the Catalan has said enough.

"The tests carried out on the Spanish international, at King Edward VII's hospital in London, have confirmed that she suffers a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee," states the RFEF statement.

Alexia was injured during training this Tuesday at

and will be out for much longer than the duration of the Euro and that will prevent Jorge Vilda from having his top scorer.

Putellas was the spearhead of the

, the fifth in Europe, undefeated during the qualifying phase and convinced that now, finally, they could face the great teams of the continent.

That feeling that she touched at the

, when she defeated the

in the quarterfinals and promised herself that

was going to be her big chance.

With

, European champion in 2021 and with Alexia as the current Ballon d'Or, the sky was the limit for Spain, which she now sees her ceiling descend.

The news of the injury of his best player comes just a few weeks after complaining about the physical problems of Jenni Hermoso, the other great scorer of our country.

The Barcelona attacker, who could change teams this summer, suffered a

right knee at the end of the season that did not allow her to join the concentration in Las Rozas.

A stick for the group that is now double.

Amaiur Sarriegi

, a 21-year-old striker for Real Sociedad and the second Spaniard who has scored the most goals in the last league after Putellas, is the one chosen by Jorge Vilda to replace Alexia.

This is one of the jewels of Spanish football, relegated to the last minute of the summoned list to give entry to players of another profile, trusting in the undisputed ownership of Alexia.

All of that is gone now.

Without Putellas and without Hermoso

it will be more difficult for Spain, but not impossible in a tournament that starts this Wednesday at Old Trafford, the Theater of Dreams for women's football.

, the one that was decided in the mud

, England and Austria will open a competition that will be decided at Wembley on July 31.

Two stadiums that are football legends and that will put the players on the first step of the ball.

To play on their iconic grass, Spain will have to overcome Finland in Milton Keynes and Germany and Denmark in Brentford in the group stage before reaching the quarter-finals.

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