Macario suffered an ACL injury back in June 2022 and hasn’t played since. Despite her transfer to Chelsea from Lyon during the summer transfer window, she’s yet to debut for the Women’s Super League champions.
Initially, there was hope she’d return by April, but setbacks prolonged her recovery. The exact timeline for her return remains unknown, but Chelsea’s manager, Emma Hayes, doesn’t anticipate Macario making her first appearance for the Blues in 2023.
“I don’t think she’ll play this half of the season. I hope and if she does, it’ll be a bonus. But I don’t think the time she’s been out for we would take that risk,” Hayes mentioned during a press conference. “When you’ve been out a long time — this isn’t about me withholding, this is about the recognition that with all the will in the world, you can put a player on the grass with a knee history, and sometimes, if the knee blows up, you then have to come back off of it again. She had some other issues she had to resolve.
“It takes a bit of time to realise when you can go harder with them. Because she’s new to us I’m not as confident knowing those timelines as I would do Guro (Reiten) or Melanie (Leupolz). If she (Macario) makes it back before Christmas, it’d be brilliant, but probably my gut tells me it won’t happen this side of Christmas.”
Hayes, currently managing Chelsea for the remainder of the season, will depart in the summer. However, she’s expected to reunite with Macario as she takes on the role of head coach for the USWNT.
Chelsea, led by Hayes, gears up to face Liverpool in the WSL this Sunday. Holding the top spot in the table after six matches, they maintain a three-point lead over Arsenal.
Catarina Cantanhede Melônio Macário
Catarina Cantanhede Melônio Macário
Chelsea W performance and stats
Chelsea W is currently 1st in the Women’s Super League with 16 points.
In the last 6 games, it has won 5 times and drawn once. In its last match, Chelsea W won 0-3 against Everton W.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 18 goals and conceding 4.
Chelsea W will play the next match in Women’s Super League against Liverpool W on Saturday 18th of November in Kingston upon Thames. The prediction is Chelsea W winning the match.