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After a long eight months with injury, the midfielder of Washington Spirit Croix Bethune said that she was gradually back in shape, said Espn, but said ESPN that she was still not in full fitness.

The 24 -year -old Bethune, who was part of the US women's gold medal team in Paris in 2024, opened her meniscus, while at the end of August she threw the first place in the game of MLB Team Washington National and only returned to the campaign at the end of April.

“I feel about 90%,” she said to ESPN. “I had a hip slash quad situation. I have the feeling that it has a little more time to get stronger for my knee and that I am simply 100%, so I feel about 90 and 95% at that time.”

ESPN told the NWSL rookie of the year last season for almost a year. During this time, she watched her team in the NWSL final to Orlando Pride.

She said that she was now happy to be back and concentrate on what is in front of her.

“I'm just happy to be out there again,” she said. “Eight months are a long time. I am only excited and stay every time I have the chance to go out there.

“It's not my first with injuries, so that's an advantage for me. It has already happened, so I somehow know how the process will run. I know I can get through it and only focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.”

In just 17 games last season, Bethune proved to be one of the most outstanding newcomers in NWSL history. She scored five goals and burdened 10 templates to combine Tobin Heath's record from 2016 by Tobin Heath in the league.

She saw these numbers – and her performances – four times as the rookie of the month of the NWSL of the month before it was appointed rookie of the year. It was also appointed three times in the best XI of the month of the league and ended in the season by appointing the first midfielder of the year of the NWSL.

But this injury meant that she observed the spirit of the mind to the NWSL final from the sidelines to the NWSL final.

Only in March Bethune was taken out of the list of the list (end of the season), but she had to wait until the end of April to start her season and turned on on Monday for the newcomer gift to get a 10-minute run in the 0: 3 home loss against Gotham FC on a rainy night on the Audi field.

Despite Bethune's return, Washington has passed on Washington's miserable homeland, with the losses of Gotham FC consecutive nail 3: 4 defeats against Angel City FC followed in the next game from a nail 4 loss against Angel City FC.

The Spirit started the season with a league-high 13 player, including Bethune and star striker Trinity Rodman, who has now been fit.

It looks like 10 players are still out of operation, including the defensive Anker Casey Krueger, the Andi Sullivan midfield engine on maternity leave and the dynamic striker Ouleye Sarr for the season with a back injury.

The absences have forced rotations and possibly disrupted the chemistry, especially in high-pressure home games.

The Spirit -Co coach Adrian Gonzalez said he was pleased to see Bethune back.

“It is so sure that Croix gets minutes. She trains well, it becomes more confident and that is positive,” he said.

“We are working on bringing players from injuries, and now we can have more options. Croix has to continue working because it is still out of the team for a while and we don't want to have the same start -xi every week.

“So the players have to be aware that they have to be able to help the team in different positions. We will change the shape further and change education according to what we see during the training sessions. All of them must be ready.”