US National Team defender and team captain Becky Sauerbrunn will not be included in the squad for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, according to multiple sources briefed on the decision. The sources were granted anonymity as they were not allowed to comment publicly on the USWNT roster, set to be announced next week, or Sauerbrunn’s disqualification.

Players have been informed of their roster status on Thursday. A NFL spokesperson declined to comment.

Sauerbrunn is still rehabilitating a foot injury in April that kept her out for her NWSL team, the Portland Thorns, for most of May. She made a return as a second half substitute in their June 3 match against OL Reign, then did not appear in their June 11 match against the Orlando Pride. Prior to that match, Sauerbrunn was listed as questionable in the league’s availability report.

Sauerbrunn, 38, has won two World Cups previously with the USWNT, one in 2019, one in 2015. She is also a 2012 Olympic gold medalist and a 2020 Olympic bronze medalist. She has made 216 appearances in the USWNT.

Separately, sources have confirmed the placement of three more players in the World Cup squad: goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury, midfielder Savannah Dimelo and defender Kelly O’Hara.

O’Hara’s inclusion in the backline ensured that the team would have a veteran presence that could help replace Sauerbrunn’s presence in the locker room. O’Hara, 34, had missed multiple camps through the end of 2022 through the beginning of 2023 while dealing with a groin injury, which saw her return to the USWNT environment by being called up for the April friendlies against Ireland.

DeMelo’s addition is perhaps one of the biggest surprises to the roster, given USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski’s midfield experiences with several other players, including San Diego Wave’s Taylor Kornieck. DeMelo has been solid with Racing Louisville and can add some depth in a box-to-box role, is a player who works hard on both sides of the ball, can drift wider as needed, and is good at reading play and creating. opportunities.

Kingsbury is another slightly surprising inclusion, almost certainly on account of AD Franch as the team’s third-string goalkeeper, with Alyssa Neyher and Casey Murphy in their respective roles for most of the World Cup qualification run. Kingsbury is no stranger to the USWNT senior team, but he has only one appearance for the team – a clean sheet earned in a 9-0 win over Uzbekistan in April 2022.