Relief as Barcelona make statement on Ewa Pajor knee injury | OneFootball

Aug 27, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; FC Barcelona forward Ewa Pajor (right) shoots against Bay FC defender Jordan Brewster (left) during the second half at Paypal Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Barcelona have confirmed that star striker Ewa Pajor has not damaged her ACL.

Spanish media had reported on Sunday that the Poland international was thought to have sustained a serious knee injury in the win over Atletico Madrid.

But after scans and tests on Monday, the club have relieved those fears – saying that she had a right knee issue that would keep her out of action only for four to six weeks.

“The first-team player Ewa Pajor underwent complementary medical tests this morning at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, which confirm an injury to the posterolateral complex of the right knee with no other associated injuries. The treatment will be conservative with an estimated recovery time of between 4 and 6 weeks,” the club posted on social media in quotes automatically translated from the Spanish original.

That means if all goes as planned, Pajor will be back in goalscoring action before Christmas.

She had scored against Atleti before she picked up the injury as her boot stuck in the ground.

Her current tally for Barcelona is 52 goals in 56 appearances.

She recently picked up the Gerd Muller Trophy at the Ballon d’Or for scoring the most goals in a calendar year across all competitions, including internationals.

Barcelona are currently top of the league, seven points clear of nearest rivals Real Madrid, with a goal difference of +37 across their seven league matches played so far.

When might Ewa Pajor return for Barcelona?

If Pajor returns in roughly four weeks, she could be available for selection for Barca’s trip to Chelsea in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, on Thursday, 20th November.

If she needs a little longer for recovery, she may be eyeing the home league clash against Tenerife on Sunday, 7th December – or another Champions League face-off, at home against Benfica, on Wednesday, 10th December.

She will also miss out on the two friendly matches that Poland have lined up in the forthcoming international break – one at home against the Netherlands, on Friday, 24th October, and a trip to Wales to take on Rhian Wilkinson’s side, on Tuesday, 28th October.