France football team striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto, injured on Thursday during the Women’s Euro match against Belgium (2-1), is forfeited for the rest of the tournament, said Friday at the ‘AFP a source with knowledge of the file. Marie-Antoinette Katoto, 23, is suffering from a ruptured anterior ligament in her right knee and her meniscus is cracked, the source told AFP.
Already affected in this knee before the meeting
In the post-match conference, coach Corinne Deacon had mentioned a “sprain”, without being able to specify the seriousness of the injury and the duration of unavailability. The N.9 was forced out after a quarter of an hour against Belgium, injured in the right knee in the absence of any contact with an opponent. Taking care not to set foot on the ground, she was examined at the level of the right knee by the doctor of the Blue then joined the platform on crutches after half-time.
She had been hit in the same knee during training the day before the match, after a shock with a teammate.
The rules do not allow replacement
“MAK” is the star center-forward of the France team, qualified for the quarter-finals scheduled for July 23 even before the last match of the first round against Iceland on Monday. At 23, the Paris SG player is presented as one of the headliners of the English Euro, expectations in particular linked to her efficiency this season: her personal total stands at 48 goals, including 16 with the selection after 15 matches, all started as starters.
The rules of UEFA, the organizing body of the Euro, only allows the replacement of a goalkeeper “in the event of injury or serious illness” during the tournament. Regarding outfield players, on the other hand, no substitution is allowed after the first match.