Australia star Sam Kerr has declared herself fit for the Matildas’ must-win Women’s World Cup group stage clash with Canada on Monday.
- Kerr fit again after missing two games with injury
- Can feature in Australia clash with Canada
- World Cup co-hosts must win to ensure place in knockouts
WHAT HAPPENED? Kerr suffered a calf injury the day before the co-hosts’ opening match against Ireland and has not featured since, watching from the sidelines as the team followed up the 1-0 win in their first game with a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Nigeria.
That loss means Australia must beat Olympic champions Canada in order to qualify for the knockout stages, without needing a favour from already-eliminated Ireland, and their captain delivered a huge boost to their chances by providing a positive update on her fitness on Saturday.
WHAT THEY SAID: Asked to clarify if she would be fit to feature in the match, Kerr told reporters in a press conference: “Yeah, I feel good. The plan has always been the same with the first two games and then reassess. I’m feeling good. I was out on the pitch today. As good as I can be.
“I would love to tell you guys everything but you know yourself, being in a sport a long time, [how long I can play] is a massive thing the opposition wants to know. It’s going to go down to the wire. I’m definitely going to be available but how we decide to use that is not to be given to the opposition, I think that’s the main thing.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Australia have a talented squad at their disposal but to lose their talismanic captain has been a huge blow, forcing a rejig of the forward positions that hasn’t got their best out of the other attackers available. Mary Fowler, the talented 20-year-old who plays for Manchester City, also missed the defeat to Nigeria with concussion, which further limited the Matildas going forward. Like Kerr, she is expected to return for the meeting with Canada, which is a further boost.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
Getty.jpg?format=pjpg&auto=webp&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?format=pjpg&auto=webp&width=3840&quality=60)
WHAT NEXT? It’s now down to Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson, his staff and Kerr to figure out the best way to utilise her in Monday’s crucial encounter.
