China Football Association (CFA) confirmed woman footballer Ma Xiaoxu's injury on Wednesday night but said it was too early to say how bad her situation was.

"The preliminary diagnoses showed her cruciate ligament on the left knee was ruptured, but it is still unclear how bad it is." CFA's vice president Nan Yong said.

"We will take Ma to Beijing tomorrow morning for through check, and hope experts can give her a better treatment there," he said.

Yet he declined to comment whether Ma was able to play at the Olympics.

"Ma has experienced ligament problem once, and she is under heavy psychological pressure," Nan said. "We are hoping for the best."

The 2006 Asian Women's Player of the Year, Ma Xiaoxu, ruptured her ligament in a warm-up match against the US this afternoon only 30 minutes after the game began.

Ma came back to the national team only one month earlier due to her right knee ligament rapture when playing a friendly game against New Zealand.

Ma was the second injured in a series of warm-up matches ahead of the Olympics. Her teammate, Qu Feifei, broke her leg in a match against New Zealand after substituted for only eight minutes.

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2008)