Canadian keeper Labbe gets MRI on swollen knee

Fans of the Canadian national women’s team will be anxiously waiting the results of Friday’s MRI on the swollen knee of goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe. Labbe hurt the knee last week in Swedish league action. She was forced to leave a match between her side, Pitea IF, and Kristianstad after a collision with an opposing forward. The knee has been swollen and needed to be drained through the week. She had to travel 220 km from Pitea to Umea for Friday’s MRI, after it has been postponed for 24 hours. (Insert any missive here you’d like about Sweden’s universal health-care system). Labbe has been actively using social media to keep her teammates and fans updated on the injury situation. “Sad to watch my teammates leave for Gothenborg for our game tomorrow,” she tweeted Friday. “But excited to get my MRI and finally have some answers! #tellmenow” On May 3, she tweeted that she’s still hopeful that the injury would only be a minor setback. “Everything happens for a reason and this is only going to make me stronger and more focused… 54 days till World Cup.” Canadian coach Carolina Morace wants to have her players fit and ready for full training by May 10; and word is from camp that any player who isn’t fit enough to hit the May 10 deadline won’t be part of the World Cup roster. The Canadians have to declare their roster five days before they open the World Cup against Germany on June 26. Labbe has a 3-0-0 record in 2011, and had played a total of 211 minutes. Fellow Edmontonian Erin McLeod got the lion’s share of the work in the recent Cyprus Cup while veteran Karina LeBlanc played in the Four Nations tournament against heavyweights China and the U.S.