Theresa Panfil has been ruled out for at least six months after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament.

Her club, 1. FFC Frankfurt, announced the news via their official website earlier today, revealing that the 19-year-old suffered the injury during training yesterday afternoon.

Panfil underwent surgery on her right knee this afternoon in Frankfurt and is now expected to spend several months on the sidelines as she recovers.

Nightmare start to Frankfurt return

The setback is a terrible one for the teenager, who only made the switch to rejoin Frankfurt earlier this summer, leaving Bayer Leverkusen after two years with the club.

She started her career with the current Champions League holders, but struggled for playing time and thus, after making only two appearances for the first team, opted to move to Leverkusen in the summer of 2013.

There, she impressed thoroughly, playing 32 games across her two seasons and netting three times in an attacking midfield role as she matured into a very composed performer at a young age.

Frankfurt noticed Panfil's improvements and opted to bring her back to the club as a result, with manager Colin Bell saying that the teenager had "reached the level" at which she could be "a real advantage" for the team, adding that the fact that she was "ready to accept this challenge" showed her "great character."

However, now 19-year-old must cope with a long-term injury and the lessons that are learned from a spell out of the team.

Club wish Panfil the best during her recovery

Panfil has struggled to fight her way into the Frankfurt team in their opening two games, playing just eight minutes of football despite being introduced into both matches.

However, with Champions League football approaching and the DFB-Pokal about to get underway, rotation was bound to occur and chances were going to come for the youngster.

Instead of battling for game time though, Panfil will now switch her focus to recovering from surgery.

Manager and investor at Frankfurt, Siegfried Dietrich, spoke to the club's official website about the news, saying that "the diagnosis is very bitter" and that it is "a shock" for the whole club.

He added that he wishes Panfil "all the best, a speedy recovery and a speedy return."

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About the author
Ameé Ruszkai
Head of the Sunderland, Swansea City and women football sections at VAVEL UK. Email: [email protected]