Sky Blue FC and the Washington Spirit both received bad news on Friday, as Taylor Lytle has been sidelined for the season and Toni Pressley is out for the foreseeable future.
Sky Blue midfielder Lytle suffered a tibia fracture and lateral meniscus tear in her left leg on May 11, the club announced. Lytle went down hard after colliding with Western New York Flash forward Sonia Bermudez in the 59th minute. Lytle underwent surgery on Thursday and is expected to miss 4-6 months. She started five of Sky Blue FC’s first seven games.
“We all feel terrible for Taylor,” Sky Blue FC coach Jim Gabarra said. “She was one of our most important players and performing very well. We trust she is getting the best care and will be back on the field next season.”
Meanwhile, Spirit defender Toni Pressley will miss “a large portion of the 2014 NWSL season after tearing the PCL in her right knee” in Sunday’s loss to FC Kansas City. An MRI revealed the injury on Tuesday; the Spirit say surgery does not look necessary.
Pressley played every minute at center back in the Spirit’s first six games.
“I’m disappointed obviously,” she said. “I felt that we were growing defensively every game, and I am upset that I won’t get to be a part of that for a while. But I am a hundred percent dedicated to my rehab and coming back from this quickly and better than before.”
