Mary Fowler on track for miracle recovery to play for Matildas at Asian Cup

Matildas superstar Mary Fowler is on course to play again long before next year’s Women’s Asian Cup, with coach Joe Montemurro revealing she is making a rapid recovery from her long-term injury that could have her back on deck for Manchester City in the early stages of the new Women’s Super League season.

Fowler ruptured the ACL in her right knee only three months ago in an FA Cup match against Manchester United in April, sparking immediate fears that she could miss the tournament given the typical timelines associated with such injuries.

Mary Fowler is on track to play at the Asian Cup, coach Joe Montemurro says.Credit: Getty Images

But Montemurro said that the 22-year-old is already back running and is set to feature in the early part of the new WSL season, which could give her as much as a four-month lead-in before the Asian Cup to regain form and match fitness.

“I spoke to her the other day, and she’s on track,” Montemurro said after Tuesday night’s draw for the Asian Cup, in which the Matildas were joined in Group A by South Korea, Iran and the Philippines.

“She’s in Sydney at the moment doing some running. So she’ll join City, I think, in early October ... she’s looking good and she should be hopefully back playing before November.

“[That’s the] City group, mate. They’ve got everything sorted and she’s done well. She’s been really, really, really, really positive and done well.

Mary Fowler ruptured her ACL in April.Credit: Getty Images

“She’s a special player - not just for Australia, but worldwide. She’s [got] that X factor. And you need those X-factors in these tournaments. You need that player to unlock something at times. To have Mary involved will be really good.”

The signs are equally positive for Sam Kerr, who is upping her involvement in pre-season training with Chelsea, having endured a much more complicated rehab process for her own ACL injury than Fowler.

Kerr hasn’t played a competitive game since a UEFA Champions League fixture for Chelsea in late 2023, having been sidelined for over a year and a half, while Fowler - if Montemurro’s predicted timelines prove to be accurate - will return within just seven months.

“It was important that she didn’t jump straight into pre-season,” Montemurro said of Kerr. “Hopefully by the end of pre-season, she’ll be at the level with everyone else - and then she’s up for game time.”

GROUPS FOR THE 2026 WOMEN’S ASIAN CUP

Group A: Australia, South Korea, Iran, Philippines

Group B: DPR Korea, China, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan

Group C: Japan, Vietnam, India, Chinese Taipei

Montemurro said he was pleased with Australia’s draw, despite it being close to the most difficult group they could have landed at Tuesday night’s ceremony at Sydney Town Hall.

The Matildas were drawn with the top-ranked teams in pots three and four, and the second-highest ranked team in pot two - avoiding former Matildas boss Ante Milicic and his Chinese side, who are in Group B with North Korea, one of Asia’s top women’s football nations.

“I actually would have preferred to play Australia,” Milicic said. “But that’s normal I think, being born and raised in Sydney, and with knowing so many players there, being a former coach … hopefully both teams get to a stage where they meet later in the tournament.”

In South Korea, the Matildas face a rematch with the team that knocked them out of the last Asian Cup in India four years ago, with a last-gasp goal ending their campaign in a 1-0 quarter-final shocker.

Matildas coach Joe Montemurro with the Asian Cup trophy.Credit: Getty Images

“I was actually watching that game on a little laptop screen, because I had COVID. So I was in isolation in that moment,” said midfielder Tameka Yallop.

“It was pretty heart-wrenching to watch it on a tiny screen while I was in India. But a lot has happened [since] and we obviously now have a head coach that’s got some time to give us direction, but we’ve been focusing in before that process anyway.”

Montemurro recalls watching it on television in Turin, where he was coaching Juventus’ women’s team.

“I remember the amount of chances we missed,” he said.

“And I think I turned it off with about 15 minutes to go and said, ‘Oh, it’s not good.’

“But, look, it happens. And we’ve seen tournaments now [like the] Euros where maybe not the best team won. They found a way. So tournament football, there’s always going to be one or two games where you’ve just got to find a way. You might need a last-minute something to get us through.

“It’s my job to paint the picture of as many scenarios possible that we could face in a tournament and hope to make it familiar so we can get through.”

The Asian Cup will begin with a showdown between Australia and the Philippines – who are coached by another Australian, Mark Torcaso – at Perth’s Optus Stadium on March 1.

The Matildas will then face Iran at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast four days later, and Korea at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on March 8.

The importance of topping the group is critical, as the runners-up of Group A will face the second-placed team from Group B in the quarter-finals - and to book their spot at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, the Matildas will likely need to progress through to the semi-finals.

The winners of Group A, in contrast, will face a third-placed team from either Group B or C.

This Asian Cup will be the last edition that also doubles as the final stage of qualification for the World Cup, with the top six teams earning an automatic berth.

Should the Matildas reach the quarters and lose, they would then take part in one of two “play-in” matches against another losing quarter-finalist. The winners of those will also qualify for the World Cup, while the losers would be forced into the intercontinental play-offs.

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