At last, the NWSL playoffs are finally here. In the next couple of days, ardent fans will get to witness the most intense matches as eight sides will be giving their all to decide their fate for the prestigious Championship title. As it makes an event that surely cannot be missed, not just by the fans, but the players of the respective teams as well, there is Trinity Rodman, labelled a major doubt for her side’s crucial playoff game.

The Washington Spirit star has had bad luck with injuries. Months after successfully having navigated herself from a painful back injury by taking significant precautions, she ended up picking up a new blow in the form of an MCL sprain during her team’s Concacaf W Champions Cup clash against Monterrey on October 15. This setback couldn’t have come at a worse time, as it coincided with her call-up from Emma Hayes for last month’s international window, featuring a doubleheader against Portugal followed by a match against New Zealand, marking her first inclusion since her last USWNT appearance in April.

And it looks like the bad luck continues as Trinity Rodman remains a doubt for Saturday’s NWSL quarterfinal between the Washington Spirit and Racing Louisville. Unfortunately, she still hasn’t healed from her MCL sprain, at least a report from ESPN’s Jeff Kassouf says so. According to the renowned journalist, the 23-year-old winger remained absent for the first 30 minutes during the team’s training session on Friday, which is also the time open to the media. But there she was, spending that period inside the team’s nearby gym, per a Spirit spokesperson.

It was way later that Rodman joined her teammates on the field for the final segment of practice. While it would suggest that the Newport Beach native must have been training individually to push for her comeback, it was only found out later that the USWNT superstar was officially listed as “questionable” for the upcoming NWSL playoff quarterfinal clash at Audi Field against the No. 7 seed in the league’s availability report.

In fact, this is hardly a surprise, considering the manner in which Trinity Rodman had left the pitch. For those unaware, the talented winger went down within the opening half hour of the game. Unable to put even the slightest of pressure on her leg, she ended up leaving the pitch in tears, resorting to crutches and wearing a full knee brace.

Though after the game, head coach Adrian Gonzales eliminated fears of serious injury by citing it as a sprain, it was the removal from last month’s USWNT camp, followed by missing the final two regular-season games, that made it pretty evident that she isn’t right. And now, missing out on the Spirit’s first playoff match, having finished the season notching five goals and two assists in just nine games. But not all hope is lost, at least that’s how Gonzales puts it.

Fingers crossed to see Trinity Rodman back in action

On Friday, Adrian Gonzales succinctly refused to give an actual update on Trinity Rodman, rather insisting that she is being evaluated “day by day.” In fact, a final decision will be made regarding the youngster’s availability, at least before consulting with the medical team. Then again, Gonzales had some positive words to share. “The only thing with Trin is she’s been doing great,” said the Spirit boss.

“Positive that I think she’s checking those boxes and she’s in a good spot, mentally and obviously physically she’s improving. She’s been doing a great job. Very committed with her recovery, doing as much as possible to be in the best spot as possible. We are optimistic and she’s doing good,” added the former assistant of ex-Spirit boss Jonatan Gonzales, having taken his role after Jonatan joined OL Lyonness.

Remarkably, Trin is the least of the concerns for Washington, as during their final regular-season game that ended in a 1-0 loss to Utah Royals, they had not more than three healthy field players available off the bench. Names like Croix Bethune (thigh), Leicy Santos (illness), and Deborah Abiodun (ankle) were all out. That explains the presence of just 18 field players in the media-accessible portion of Friday’s training session at the Inova Performance Complex.

So it’s only natural to assume that at least Trinity Rodman is out of the picture, and the remainder of the team shall pull up without star players. No wonder “Staying compact defensively and winning second balls so that they don’t get caught in transition” is the tactic that Gonzales wishes his team to follow, matching the exact playing style of Racing Louisville.

A win would see the Spirit secure its place in the semifinals, where it will be facing either the Portland Thorns or San Diego Wave. Either way, share your predictions and thoughts on Trinity Rodman’s unavailability in the comments below.