(Reuters) – The U.S. women’s national team will be without defender Abby Dahlkemper at this month’s SheBelieves Cup due to an injury, the team said , adding that teenage forward Trinity Rodman will join the squad as a replacement.
The reigning world champions said Dahlkemper, who has 77 caps, has been ruled out due to a back injury.
Rodman was originally supposed to train with the team before the tournament, but now will be on the final roster.
Veteran forwards Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Christen Press and Tobin Heath were all omitted from coach Vlatko Andonovski’s 23-player squad in a bid to offer opportunities to younger players.
The USWNT, who top FIFA’s rankings, face the Czech Republic on Feb. 17 and New Zealand on Feb. 20, both in Carson, California, before a Feb. 23 meeting with Iceland in Frisco, Texas.
The winner of the four-team international tournament, which the USWNT have won the last two years, will be determined by total points.
The tournament will serve as valuable preparation ahead of July’s eight-team CONCACAF W Championship that will produce four direct qualifiers for the 2023 women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand as well as one automatic qualifier to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Full squad:
Goalkeepers: Aubrey Kingsbury, Casey Murphy, Alyssa Naeher
Defenders: Alana Cook, Tierna Davidson, Emily Fox, Sofia Huerta, Kelley O’Hara, Emily Sonnett, Becky Sauerbrunn
Midfielders: Morgan Gautrat, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Catarina Macario, Kristie Mewis, Ashley Sanchez, Andi Sullivan
Forwards: Ashley Hatch, Mallory Pugh, Margaret Purce, Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, Lynn Williams
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
