Robbie Slater: What is going on at the Matildas and why aren’t they telling the truth about injuries?

The Matildas only have themselves to blame for the current injury crisis, writes ROBBIE SLATER. He reveals the plan Australia should deploy to cover for the loss of Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler.

What is going on with the Matildas?

It’s pretty bizarre and unlucky for more injuries to strike on the eve of a World Cup game, but the question must be asked: What were you doing?

Everyone knows with sports science that the most crucial day to be light in your training is two days before a game.

That is the rule: two days before a game you don’t have a heavy session. You only do really light stuff, then the day before a game you have a short and sharp session. Maybe a few sprints and then away you go.

So how, on what is meant to be a light day, do Mary Fowler and Aivi Luik both come away from training with concussion in separate incidents?

Why was this session overly physical? It’s great to have competitive sessions, but now it’s left the Matildas exposed - particularly in attack.

Mary Fowler will miss the Nigeria game under concussion protocols

WHAT’S THE KERR TRUTH

I think it’s time they came clean about Kerr’s injury.

Why, after not revealing the Kerr injury before the first game, are the Matildas now letting Nigeria know a day before the game about the injuries to Fowler and Luik?

It’s a bizarre change of strategy by the Matildas who were adamant they didn’t want to give their opponents a competitive advantage.

I certainly understood why they did that so what has changed?

I know it was crucial in the Matildas’ minds to keep those Kerr details hidden for the Ireland game, but I don’t think it’s true anymore and I think the nation deserves to know what is going on.

Why can’t we get exact news and a real update on the severity of her injury?

She is the face of the World Cup. I don’t think you need to play mind games with the possibility of round of 16 return or later, just come out and say it.

The whisper is she won’t play at all. A calf tear is typically a four week injury.

You talk to any young fans and all they want to know is “how bad is Sam’s injury and when is she going to play?”

They have a right to know how bad it is and if she is not going to play at all.

Sam Kerr is unlikely to play in the group stages, rumour is she may not play at all

HOW TO REPLACE KERR AND FOWLER?

The squad is looking really thin and while hindsight is a wonderful thing, when you look to pick a World Cup squad coach Tony Gustavsson would have planned for all kinds of scenarios.

I know when Graham Arnold was planning his Socceroos squad for the World Cup he was in different minds about potential outcomes and making sure every position had depth with the fitness of players.

I’m not sure losing Kerr and Fowler in back-to-back games early on was part of Tony’s contingency planning.

If it was, then why was Kyah Simon selected? She is coming back from an ACL last October, but in ACL terms that is not long ago and her fitness remains a question.

He was always planning for Kyah to come in later in the tournament, but now we must replace two of our most important players.

Simon may well be ready to start tomorrow, we don’t know.

I think the most simple solution is Tameka Yallop comes in for Fowler and Hayley Raso replaces Fowler upfront so he doesn’t change formation.

Or he may look to change the system and play with Caitlin Foord upfront with Raso, Yallop or even Cortnee Vine behind in a 4-2-2-1 system and rely on getting the width from your wide players.

Whatever they choose it puts a lot of pressure on Caitlin Foord.

It’s untimely and no disrespect to Nigeria, I still think the Matildas have got enough to beat them tomorrow night and secure their passage to the knockout stages.

But it’s an unsettled camp now and you need luck to win a World Cup. Australia can only hope we’ve used up all our bad luck for the tournament now.