Women’s World Cup 2019: Matildas young gun Mary Fowler cleared to face Jamaica after injury
Mary Fowler is finally fit but whether the talented teenager gets off the Matildas bench against Jamaica will be based purely on merit and not the politics of securing a star of the future.
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Mary Fowler could finally get her first competitive Matildas minutes against Jamaica, but coach Ante Milicic is adamant he’s under no pressure to cap the talented teenager and claim her as Australia’s.
Fowler is back in selection contention after overcoming a hamstring strain that ruled her out of Australia’s opening two Women’s World Cup games against Italy and Brazil.
And the 16-year-old, the youngest player at the tournament in France, could finally show the world what she has to offer on Wednesday morning (5am EST) in Grenoble.
But Milicic said any game time Fowler gets off the bench will be based purely on merit and not the politics of securing a star of the future who may have otherwise defected to her father’s native Ireland.
“She’s got a lot of potential,” Milicic said.
“She’s worked well, even now, coming back from an injury she’s put herself in a position where she’s looked good.
“But at the same time, we don’t give out minutes or caps for any other reason than someone deserves to affect a game of football. That’s how we’ll approach it.
“We’ll see how the game unfolds. At this stage she’s available for selection, she’s more than likely to start as a substitute.
“But we’ve got to look at every player individually. There are three games in 10 days … but it would be good at some stage if the opportunity presents itself that she can really show her quality.”
The news was less positive for Clare Polkinghorne, whose own hamstring issue has ruled her out of a second consecutive match.
Milicic confirmed Steph Catley would again deputise at centre-back alongside Alanna Kennedy.
Tameka Yallop, too, is in serious doubt, having missed training on Monday night (EST), and will undergo a fitness test to determine what part, if any, she plays.
“If she gets through a few drills tomorrow and we’re convinced, and she’s also comfortable with being able to play a part in the game, then she’ll be available,” Milicic said.
“Otherwise she’ll join Clare on the sidelines.”
Should that be the case, makeshift left-back Elise Kellond-Knight could return to the midfield for a clash set to go some way to determining where Australia finishes in Group C and who they play next.
Also decisive will be the result of the concurrently played Brazil v Italy game.
A big Matildas win over Jamaica coupled with Brazil beating leaders Italy could lift Milicic’s side to top and reward them with seven days’ rest and a round-of-16 match-up with a slightly more straightforward opponent.
Even if Brazil don’t get it done, Australia simply winning would mean second spot and avoiding a showdown with highly fancied hosts France.
Either way, Milicic insisted neither he nor his players would be checking the score of the other game.
“We’ll just focus on what we can control and that’s our performance tomorrow,” he said.
“We’ll concentrate on winning a game of football.”