Putellas forced out of Spain squad with knee injury

Alexia Putellas will miss Spain's next two women's Nations League matches after withdrawing from the national squad on Monday with a knee injury, the Spanish federation and her club Barcelona announced.

The two-time Ballon d'Or winner injured her left knee in Barca's 5-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League and will now "continue her recovery process" with her club, the federation said in a statement.

The 29-year-old, who missed the 2022 Euros because of ruptured cruciate ligaments on the same knee, will be sidelined for the world champions' matches against Italy on Friday and Sweden next Tuesday.