Gotham FC defender Emily Sonnett will miss the remainder of the NWSL season after having surgery for a ruptured patellar tendon in her left knee, the club announced on Friday.
The news is a blow for the defending NWSL champion Gotham FC and the United States women's national team.
Neither Gotham nor U.S. Soccer provided an exact timeline for Sonnett's return, but she likely faces a race to be fit for the 2027 World Cup, which begins in June.
Recovery from the surgery can vary greatly from six to 12 months.
"Emily has the full support of everyone at the club, and we will be with her every step of the way throughout her recovery," Gotham FC president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West said in a statement.
"She is incredibly resilient, and we know she will return stronger."
Sonnett sustained the injury last week in the opening minutes of Gotham's 2-2 draw with the Portland Thorns. Sonnett was one of Gotham's starting center backs for a defense that is tied for the least number of goals conceded in the NWSL this season.
Sonnett was an important player for Gotham in last year's run to a championship and the team's 2025 Concacaf title.
She has made 118 appearances for the United States and was expected to be on the roster for next year's World Cup.
Sonnett sustained the non-contact knee injury in Portland and immediately flew back to New Jersey for evaluation and surgery while the team continued with its West Coast road trip.
A torn patella tendon kept United States forward Mallory Swanson out of the 2023 World Cup.
Swanson was out for about nine months, retuning in time to help the U.S. win the 2024 Olympics.
Sonnett is the second major loss in a week for Gotham.
On Monday, the club announced that it had mutually terminated the contract of forward Esther González so that she could return to her native Spain for "personal matters."
González was Gotham's leading scorer and a 2025 NWSL MVP finalist. Gotham is second in the table, 2 points behind the Washington Spirit.
