Matildas football World Cup team: Who replaces injured superstar Ellie Carpenter?
A year out from World Cup, Matildas coach Tony Gustavasson is searching for a key replacement but one expert believes the manager has far more pressing issues.
Women's Football
Don't miss out on the headlines from Women's Football. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Down Ellie Carpenter, Matildas coach Tony Gustavasson is looking to rebuild his Matildas ahead of next year’s World Cup but expert commentator Andy Harper isn’t confident Australia has the depth ahead of 2023.
Three Matildas have been named by Gustavasson as back-up options for the injured star but he was very clear they were by no means replacements.
Simply because the 22-year-old wingback is irreplaceable.
But with a year to go until the premier international sporting event, Harper questioned the quality of replacements to cover Carpenter or any other potential injuries picked up in the next 12 months.
Carpenter, 22, is a key piece of the Matildas attack and defence - playing a right wingback role like no other Aussie women’s player has before.
She is unafraid to use her speed to drive the ball into the midfield and has an uncanny ability to pull off goal saving tackles in the backline.
Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
The star, who plays for Lyon, tore her ACL in the opening minutes of the Champions League final in May - putting Matildas coaching staff on high alert ahead of next year’s World Cup, to be played across Australia and New Zealand from July.
Carpenter has undergone surgery and started her rehab process in Lyon.
Coach Gustavsson said if any player could recover in such a short time it was Carpenter.
“She is so professional and mature for her age and she’s already started her rehab process.
In parallel with that we are going to do everything we can to support her on her journey,” he said.
Aware the worst situation could unfold and Carpenter could be deemed unavailable for the Cup Gustavsson is on the hunt for possible back-up options - not a replacement.
“I want to be clear that we can’t find a replacement that we think is going to be the new Ellie because Ellie is Ellie, so whoever plays there needs to have a fair chance to play as either an outside back or wingback the way they play it,” Gustavsson said.
He said there were two options - the first to revert back to playing with three defenders like they did at the Olympics, with wingbacks.
The second to stick to four at the back and find a natural defender to fill in the role.
If option one is chosen Hayley Raso would be the most likely to step into Carpenter’s shoes.
While Charlotte Grant or Cortnee Vine are Gustavsson’s top picks if playing with four in the back.
“We have so many forwards and attacking midfielders who can also take place in those outside back positions but we need to use the time from now until the World Cup to see what the back-up options are,” Gustavsson said.
Fox Sports commentator and football expert Andy Harper said Gustavsson was running out of time to work out the best options should Carpenter or any other player become unavailable.
“The knee injury to Ellie Carpenter has put everyone on notice that it can happen at any time,” Harper said.
“So the question that has been ever present for the last two and half years is what happens, what are the contingencies, in the event of a nightmarish scenario where one of the superstars suffers a similar injury on the eve of our hosted World Cup? The question for me has remained largely unanswered.”
Harper said as it stood Grant was the most likely to stand in, should Carpenter be unavailable.
The 21-year-old, who plays for FC Rosengård, made her Matildas’ debut last year and now has six caps to her name.
“If the coach continues with his type of setup Grant is the player he has seemingly deputised and I’m very comfortable with the football Charlotte has developed and we don’t know how much better she can be,” Harper said.
“There is a lot of potential there but I guess the next question is, if God forbid something happens to her, then who comes in after Charlotte and this is the question that needs to keep being asked, what capacity are we building across the field?
“Let’s face it, we are playing a contact sport and anything could happen.”
Harper said if anything had left him underwhelmed it was the building of capacity across the squad.
“I hope we can get important game minutes into key options in the event of things not going to plan,” he said.
“It is not as if anyone should expect the coach to finalise his decision this far out from a competition because anything can happen, but the point is, what are the options?”
Originally published as Matildas football World Cup team: Who replaces injured superstar Ellie Carpenter?
Report fears A-League W could collapse within just two years
A scathing report into professional women’s football PFA fears the A-Leagues’ Women’s will crumble within two years if the league doesn’t turn full-time professional by the 2026 Asian Cup.
Matildas production line in peril
There are fears that the A-League women’s competition will fail to produce future Matildas or attract top quality players unless it turns professional.