It was only back in July that the US Women’s National Team was in action, yet it already feels like ages since fans last saw them. After a perfect summer—securing back-to-back 4-0 wins over the Republic of Ireland and a 3-0 victory against Canada—the American women have certainly left supporters feeling a bit of FOMO in their absence. But within just a few weeks, they’ll be back on the pitch. And right when expectations were building for more positives, a concerning development emerged, with fans raising questions about star forward Alyssa Thompson.

It was just last week that the 20-year-old left Angel City to complete her historic move to Chelsea. A $1.3 million deal not only marked the biggest transfer in the club’s history but also handed a significant payday to her former side, who launched her as a young American prodigy back in 2023. Now, as she dons new domestic colors, one would expect the talented American star to play her first game. Naturally, the forward wasted no time in joining her new teammates in training.

But what should have been a smooth start has now left fans concerned. Earlier today, Chelsea shared a picture of Alyssa Thompson from their training session. The former NWSL star was captured candidly among training mannequins, receiving a pass on her left foot with full focus. Yet, what instantly caught the eye was the big white cast wrapped around her left hand.

And by big, we mean actually very big. The cast looked bulky—almost like the kind someone gets fresh after a bone fracture. So, seeing a new signing of the biggest club in the world, who will also soon be needed for national duty, wearing such a cast naturally sparked immediate questions about her fitness.

Ardent Chelsea and USWNT fans quickly took to X, where the Blues’ women’s official account had posted the picture, to share their thoughts in retweets. And before diving into those reactions, it’s worth noting that the mood surrounding the California native is nothing short of concern.

Ardent fans express concern for Alyssa Thompson!

The USWNT won’t be returning to action at least until the end of October, when Emma Hayes’ side will be hosting Portugal in a doubleheader clash, followed by a single match aligned against New Zealand. Both matches are quite crucial. Even before this, she also has a Chelsea debut to make. So it only raised a valid question from this fan: “Will she be able to play for now with this heavy wrap in her hand? Please recover quick Alyssa Thompson💙💙��”

Now that the cat’s finally out of the bag, it’s worth addressing the reality of Alyssa Thompson’s cast to ease everyone’s mind. Believe it or not, she has been wearing it since her early Angel City days. In fact, she’s even played matches while donning it, and sometimes, the winger doesn’t even bother wearing it at all. Don’t believe us? Here out this netizen: “If people followed Alyssa’s career a little at ACFC then you’d know she has been playing with the cast on her wrist during her recent matches & she has been ok with it.”

And the biggest surprise of all? Not only is she okay with it, but the fact that it’s still unclear why she wears it. Some believe it’s healing an old arm injury, while others think it may simply be a precautionary measure—though Thompson herself has never fully explained it. We bet not USWNT and Angel City fans, but it must be the Chelsea fans questioning whether Alyssa is even viable to play with the cast. “She’s gonna play with that arm?” questioned one from the Blue army.

Then again, for others, it’s not about whether she can. “Why is her cast getting bigger and bigger😭,” indicated another fan. A valid one, to be fair, as we have seen Alyssa earlier with a slight lean cast on her arm. Well, bigger or skinny – hey we don’t judge based on size (of the cast) – many are rather keeping their faith in what the player can do on the pitch: “Training with a cast. She’s special,” as another wrote, “Hand over the ball to her, she’s going to score on her debut.”

A few even tried to lighten the mood and take fans’ minds off the concerns surrounding her injury. One joked, “Finally the cast is big enough to knock someone out,” while another added, “That cast looks like it’s gonna shoot projectiles onto the pitch.”

Be that as it may, this was just a glimpse of the wider reaction, as many continued to question the cast Alyssa Thompson has been wearing seemingly forever. Either way, the hope remains that it won’t end up affecting her contributions to both club and country.