By James Polson, Billie Eder and Emma Kemp
The last time the Matildas set out to beat Canada without Sam Kerr, they walked away with four unanswered goals. So while the captain’s absence from this weekend’s rematch is an inconvenience, the team does not view it as a disaster.
That previous win, in the World Cup’s group stage at AAMI Park at the end of July, was the turning point in Australia’s campaign and followed days of relentless scrutiny over Kerr’s calf injury and coach Tony Gustavsson’s selections and tactics.
This time it is Kerr’s foot which has her sidelined, with Chelsea on Tuesday morning (AEDT) announcing the striker will remain in London for treatment while the Matildas play two friendlies against the Olympic champions, in Langford this Saturday and Vancouver next Wednesday.
“I haven’t spoken to her, but it’s disappointing that she won’t be with us this camp,” senior defender Clare Polkinghorne said from camp on Tuesday. “But I think our main priority is having everyone fit and healthy for the Olympics.”
Kerr scored a hat-trick in last week’s 4-1 Champions League win over Paris FC before being substituted in the 81st minute of the 5-2 English Women’s Super League victory over Leicester City, having again found the back of the net shortly before half-time.
She has almost three months to recover before the Matildas’ next competitive matches – a two-legged qualifying play-off for Paris 2024 against Uzbekistan. WSL leaders Chelsea next face second-placed Arsenal – featuring Matildas trio Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross – in a London derby on December 10.
Sam Kerr will miss the Matildas’ two upcoming friendlies against Canada.Credit: Getty
The news comes a day after Football Australia said Charli Grant would also miss the Canada trip with a hamstring injury and Holly McNamara was ruled out after tearing her ACL for the third time in six years. The same goes for World Cup penalty-shootout hero and West Ham captain Mackenzie Arnold, who has sustained an arm injury.
Paris FC midfielder Sarah Hunter will replace Kerr in the Australian squad, in her first senior call-up for the national side, while forward Remy Siemsen, midfielder Alex Chidiac and goalkeeper Jada Whyman will replace the other three in the 23-player squad.
“Obviously we would prefer if everyone was fit and healthy and available for camp, but that’s the reality of professional football,” Polkinghorne said. “Injuries are part of the game, and unfortunately it’s happened the weekend leading into these games … but it also gives some other players an opportunity to come in and experience the environment, and I guess put their hand up for selection as well.”
As it stands, all except Arnold from that pivotal 4-0 triumph in Melbourne will be available for selection on Saturday. Gustavsson changed up his XI that night, starting Emily van Egmond up front with Mary Fowler and moving Caitlin Foord out to the left to capitalise on her strong Arsenal connection with left-back Steph Catley.
Penalty shootout hero Mackenzie Arnold will also miss the trip to Canada.Credit: Getty
The other option is deploy Foord in the middle and shift Fowler out to the left, where she played the house down at the Olympic qualifiers in Perth a month ago.
However Gustavsson moves the magnets, Polkinghorne predicts Canada will have fire in the belly against the country that effectively knocked them out of the World Cup, amplified by the desire to send off international great Christine Sinclair into retirement with a pair of victories.
“They’re a world-class team and would not have enjoyed being beaten by us in that fashion,” she said. “They’ve probably got a little bit to prove – a bit of redemption, I guess – from that game. Also sending Sinclair off on a better note than the last time we played them.”
The heat is back on Gustavsson this time around, too, albeit for a different reason.
Since the World Cup, reports have persistently linked the 50-year-old Swede to other jobs. He was reportedly one of the three main candidates for the United States women’s head coach role since taken up by Chelsea boss Emma Hayes.
Now a report out of Sweden says he has already met with the Swedish Football Association is in the frame for the vacant Sweden men’s head coach role, forcing Football Australia to come out on Friday and insist he will see out his contract until after the Paris 2024 Olympics.
FA also distributed a quote attributable to Gustavsson, in which he said he was “fully focused on qualification and participation at the Paris 2024 Olympics”. But he did not directly address the Sweden speculation, and Polkinghorne said he had not addressed it with his Matildas players.
“I wouldn’t say it’s unsettling,” said Polkinghorne. “I think that’s part and parcel of professional football, whether you’re a player or a coach. Especially if you’ve had success and done well at the top level, then there’s always going to be interest from other parties.
“As soon as we’re in camp, our focus is on the job at hand. Whatever’s happening outside of our circle is not really relevant while we’re in it.”
Watch every match of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League on Stan Sport. All the action streaming ad-free, live and on demand, with select matches in 4K UHD.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.