Concern over Linda Caicedo fitness persist

The new kid on the women’s football block Real Madrid striker Linda Caicedo has lit up the tournament with two goals in two games but concerns about her health persist.

The Colombian national team trained at Dorrien Gardens in Perth, Australia on the eve of their final Women’s World Cup Group H clash against Morocco, with Linda Caicedo’s absence from the start of the session the main point of note.

The rest of the roster arrived at the complex in the morning but the Real Madrid striker was instead with team doctors. Caicedo, who overcame ovarian cancer a few years ago, underwent a second MRI scan following her stumble to the ground while clutching her chest during a session in the build-up to Las Cafeteras’ second group game against Germany. The Colombian soccer federation put the incident down to “stress” and “physical demands”.

Following assurances that the 18-year-old was OK to play, she started and scored a superb goal in Colombia’s surprise win over the Germans but again lay down on the ground and required medical attention in the closing stages of the game. This time, it was a member of the coaching staff who explained there was nothing to worry about.

“We know that Linda had some problems in the past, but nothing to be worried about,” assistant coach Angelo Marsiglia said. “She was very tired, of course. She had a bit of acceleration in her heart, but this wasn’t a problem.” Marsiglia later claimed the teenager was “exhausted”.

Since then, the federation have again stressed that nothing is wrong with their star player, who did her first scan the day before the team travelled to Perth and that the results showed there was no cause for concern.