China's female 'Rooney' may miss Olympics, China Daily reports

Ma Xiaoxu, dubbed China's female "Wayne Rooney" because of her prodigious talent, may miss playing in next year's Olympics after seriously injuring her knee, a press report said Friday. Ma is pictured here after winning a match in Tianjin, in September.

Ma Xiaoxu, dubbed China's female "Wayne Rooney" because of her prodigious talent, may miss playing in next year's Olympics after seriously injuring her knee, a press report said Friday.

Ma is likely to be sidelined for at least six months with what team doctors fear may be a ruptured ligament in her right knee, after she fell awkwardly while playing against New Zealand on Wednesday, the China Daily reported.

Ma, the Asian Football Confederation's Player of the Year in 2006, was carried off the field on a stretcher and was taken from Guangzhou, in southern China where the game was played, to Beijing on Thursday for tests, the newspaper said.

The injury caps a disappointing year for the 19-year-old, who battled foot and ankle problems throughout 2007 and was goalless during her team's run to the World Cup quarter finals played in China.

Nevertheless, the loss of Ma would be a huge blow for China's "Steel Roses" at the August 8-24 Beijing Olympics, with the striker already pencilled in to partner Han Duan up front as the team's attacking force for the Games.

"I hope she will come back as soon as possible," Han said, according to the China Daily.

The team's new French coach, Elisabeth Loisel, acknowledged the injury was a setback but was nevertheless upbeat after the 4-0 win over New Zealand.

"The victory... is a very good Christmas gift for me," the paper quoted her as saying. "The only thing I feel sorry for is Ma's injury. I hope she will be okay and come back soon."