MU sophomore midfielder Zoe Cross tore her ACL during Missouri soccer’s game on Sunday against Texas Christian, Cross announced in a tweet linking to a private Instagram post.

Given that ACL injuries typically require surgery and several months of recovery, Cross is likely to be out for the rest of the season. The team declined to comment when asked about the severity of the injury.

Cross’s injury, which wasn’t diagnosed when it occurred on Sunday, came during her first appearance for Missouri (1-3-1) this season. She missed the first four games of the year while representing England at the U-20 Women’s World Cup in France. The Tigers compiled a record of 1-2-1 in her absence.

She didn’t see any action during the World Cup, but in her 47 minutes on the field for the Tigers on Sunday, she made an important defensive play in the 59th minute by heading a TCU shot off of the goal line to preserve a 0-0 scoreline.

In the 86th minute, Cross was dispossessed of the ball by TCU’s Isabelle Juarez and stumbled over Juarez’s leg in the process. After an awkward landing, she remained on the ground, clutching her left knee, and had to be helped off the field by team medical staff. Missouri went on to lose the game in overtime, 1-0.

Cross’s presence will be missed by a Missouri soccer team that can’t seem to catch a break early in the 2018 season. The Tigers have lost three straight, been shutout in four of their five games and failed to find the back of the net in their last 279 collective minutes. Cross’s implementation figured to be a crucial building block in Missouri’s midfield as it tries to rebound from the slow start.

The Tigers will tested without the prospect of Cross returning for the first time at Southern California, the fourth-ranked team in the country, on Friday, then against Gonzaga at home on Sunday.

_Edited by Bennett Durando | bdurando@themaneater.com_