Leganger out with Achilles injury

Larvik HK´s Champions League dreams have been dealt a severe blow, as their experienced goalkeeper Cecilie Leganger will be sidelined for four to five months due to an Achilles tendon injury.

The 38-year-old former Norway international sustained the injury in Larvik´s first group match of the Women´s EHF Champions League against Podravka Vegeta on Saturday.

The injury occurred as Leganger made a save after about ten minutes, but still she played the entire rest of the first half, and not until half time did she realise that she had been seriously injured.

Examinations of her left heel showed that the Achilles tendon is almost torn, and a spell of at least 18 weeks on the sidelines awaits.

“I felt as small snap in the tendon as I made as save on a breakthrough from their left backcourt player after ten minutes, but it was not until I was resting at half time that I realised that it was really bad,” Leganger told Larvik´s website.

Main round return

“The way it looks, I will not need surgery. Now I am going to be further examined by the same person who worked with me when I was in FCK,” she added, referring to the fact that she had a similar injury in 2009 when playing for FCK Håndbold in Denmark.

“All experience says that I will need a long break, at least 18 weeks. What gives me a lot of motivation and helps me keep my spirits up, is the fact that I can still be fit for the main round in February and March,” Leganger said.

A consolation for Larvik will be the fact that the club’s other veteran keeper, 45-year-old Lene Rantala is finally fit again from the injury she sustained while warming up for the second leg of last season´s Champions League final against Györi Audi ETO back in May.

Rantala and new goalkeeper Alma Hasanic, who joined from Norwegian league colleagues Glassverket this summer, are therefore likely to be forming the goalkeeper duo in Larvik´s upcoming away game against WHC Vardar SCBT in Group D on Friday.