April 4, 2024 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Racing Louisville FC News Release
Racing Louisville FC defender Elli Pikkujämsä
(Louisville City FC, Credit: Connor Cunningham)
Defender Elli Pikkujämsä underwent successful surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn patellar tendon in her left knee, Racing Louisville announced Thursday.
The 24-year-old Finnish international suffered the injury in Saturday’s match at Providence Park in Portland and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024 season. Racing will place her on the National Women’s Soccer League’s season-ending injury list.
Pikkujämsä will begin a long-term rehabilitation process in Louisville with the medical teams at UofL Health and Racing Louisville in the coming weeks.
“We are heartbroken for Elli but have full belief she will come back stronger,” said Racing coach Bev Yanez. “We want to support her as much as possible as she works on her recovery from this injury. She means so much to this group, and I know I speak for us all when I say we are here for her and hopeful for a healthy and quick recovery.”
“It’s obviously a bummer for myself and something that you can’t really predict,” Pikkujämsä said. “Unfortunately this is part of the game sometimes, but all the support I’ve received during these few days has helped so much. The Louisville community is just pure love. My teammates and our staff members and fans have showed so much love, so thank you for that! No. 4 is out for a while, but I will be cheering from the sideline while my girls are gonna kick some butt.”
Pikkujämsä has been an impactful defender and defensive midfielder with Racing since signing ahead of the 2023 season, starting 18 NWSL regular-season games in 21 total appearances. She scored her first NWSL on July 7, 2023, against the Kansas City Current.
Louisville’s next match is at home, an April 13 tilt against the reigning NWSL regular-season champion San Diego Wave at Lynn Family Stadium.
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