Matildas Paris Olympics squad: Sam Kerr injury analysis, who will Tony Gustavsson select?

Sam Kerr’s devastating injury is the first major headache for Tony Gustavsson to deal with ahead of the Olympics. But what will he do to combat it, and who makes the cut to go to Paris?

Sam Kerr is plotting a football comeback in 2025, with her father revealing the Matildas captain has come to terms with the fact she won’t be pulling on her boots at the Paris Olympics.

Kerr ruptured her ACL while training with English club Chelsea on Sunday in a monumental blow to Australia’s hopes of a medal.

It’s the second time the super striker has succumbed to the devastating injury, which is wiping out top female athletes around the world.

Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson has a track record of taking wounded soldiers into battle but it is a luxury he won’t have in Paris because the squad is restricted to just 18 players.

Kerr has kept quiet since the injury announcement but on social media thanked her teammate Millie Bright for her support.

“Don’t know what I would have done without my Millie B last few days,” Kerr captioned a photograph of Chelsea defender Bright on Instagram.

Tony Gustavsson is going to have to cope without Sam Kerr at the Olympics. Picture: Franck Fife

While Football Australia and Chelsea are yet to put a date on Kerr’s return, her father Roger Kerr told 6PR radio she wouldn’t be back until 2025.

“Sam’s a pretty positive person and she’s virtually said that’s life, that’s football,” he said.

“I know what I’m in for … and she’s looking to 2025.”

Regardless of how dedicated or determined Kerr is, she won’t play in Paris because it takes at least 10 months to fully recover from an ACL injury.

Gustavsson controversially chose injured forward Kyah Simon for the World Cup but she had a setback during the Matildas’ camp and didn’t play.

Unlike the World Cup, when Gustavsson could take 23 women into the tournament, the Olympics have a cap of 18 players — with four reserve players who can be used only in the event of an injury.

Theorectically, Football Australia could nominate Kerr in the 18-player squad and replace her with one of the injury replacements if she wasn’t fit to play.

But with potentially seven games across two-and-a-half-weeks, there is little scope to carry injured stars.

Gustavsson is already facing the tough task of chopping five players from his World Cup team.

No matter how great a player, there isn’t room in the squad for those who are only fit to line up for a penalty shootout, which was the case with Simon.

Not if Gustavsson wants to challenge for the gold medal.

Kerr’s injury is a massive blow that will have an impact on the Matildas, but it does mean Gustavsson now only has to find four more names to chop.

With only two goalkeepers allowed – unlike three in the World Cup – one will come from there. Lydia Williams is the most likely to make way.

That leaves three.

Simon is an easy choice given she didn’t play during the World Cup and hasn’t yet played for A-League side Central Coast Mariners due to her ongoing calf injury and ACL rehab.

Two remain.

Sam Kerr’s dad has confirmed she won’t make an unlikely Olympic bid. Picture: James Worsfold/Getty Images

Experienced defender Aivi Luik, 38, will likely miss the Games after playing only a limited role at the World Cup.

She wasn’t named in the squad for the Olympic qualifiers due to injury and was only called up for the friendlies last month when other players were unavailable.

But where to make the final cut.

Clare Polkinghorne, Alex Chidiac, Courtney Nevin or Clare Wheeler are fighting to keep their spots.

Gustavsson could ditch two and replace one with rising star Amy Sayer to give some added strike power upfront but it would be a risk to use a very inexperienced player at a tournament such as the Olympics.

Either way, Gustavsson has limited time to make a decision.

His next chance to find the winning formula will be during the Olympic qualifiers against Uzbekistan on February 24 and 28 but too much experimenting in those matches would be a risk.

There are opportunities for international friendlies to be played in April, May and July but Football Australia is yet to announce any fixtures or plans for these windows.

LOCKED-IN PLAYERS

Mackenzie Arnold, Ellie Carpenter, Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy, Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Katrina Gorry, Hayley Raso, Emily van Egmond, Mary Fowler.

Likely bench: Teagan Micah, Tameka Yallop, Cortnee Vine, Charli Grant, Clare Polkinghorne, Amy Sayer, Clare Wheeler.

Originally published as Matildas Paris Olympics squad: Sam Kerr injury analysis, who will Tony Gustavsson select?