Erin McLeod, the stalwart between the posts for the Canadian women’s national soccer team, will be out for up to two years with a knee injury.

That means the 33-year-old goalkeeper, who announced the “heartbreaking” news in a statement through Canada Soccer on Wednesday, will not be available for this summer’s Rio Olympics, where her team will look to defend its bronze medal from the London Games.

“What I know for sure is I won’t be ready for August,” McLeod said.

“My surgical options mean it will take between one and two years to come back, and there are no guarantees, as there never really are in life,” McLeod said.

McLeod tore her anterior cruciate ligament in a Champions League match with her Swedish club team, FC Rosengard, last month.

This is McLeod’s third ACL injury to her right knee, which could complicate her recovery. Still, she vowed to fight to get back on the field.

McLeod injured the same leg in December during a tournament in Brazil. She returned for three Olympic qualifying games in Houston in February, but sat out the final against the United States because of a persistent bone bruise. Canadian coach John Herdman did not include McLeod in his squad for March’s Algarve Cup because of that injury, but she was back playing for Rosengard by March 23. She tore her ACL before the game was 15 minutes old.

The goalkeeper had not commented on the injury before Wednesday.

Herdman told the Star last week that McLeod’s ACL wasn’t completely gone and surgery would give her a chance of returning to play for club and country eventually. Her other option was to put off surgery and risk further damage to play in the Olympics.

“I think she has been the best keeper in the world for the last three years and I think the reality . . . is Canada can’t replace a player like that,” Herdman said.

McLeod, who made her debut with the national team as a 19-year-old in 2002, has 115 appearances for the team and 43 clean sheets.

She took over the No. 1 spot from the recently retired Karina LeBlanc before the London 2012 Olympics.

“My heart breaks for my great friend,” LeBlanc tweeted after the news broke. “A class human being, person, teammate and Canadian.”

Herdman will now look to backups Stephanie Labbe, Sabrina D’Angelo and Kailen Sheridan, who have made a combined 30 appearances for the senior team. Labbe and D’Angelo are at Canada’s current camp preparing for a friendly Sunday against the Netherlands in Eindhoven.

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Whoever is in net come August, they will have the support of McLeod who, despite her grim prognosis, has high hopes for her team.

“This Olympic team is one that will excite you,” she said. “I know, for me, it feels like I have been waiting for this group my whole career. The people on this team work harder than any other people I know and, well, I know they will give anything for the emblem on their chests.”