Sam Kerr's absence looms large over the Matildas as they prepare for their upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Taiwan. Recently, interim coach Tom Sermanni shared the latest news on the star footballer, currently sidelined due to recovery from an ACL injury she sustained earlier this year.
Despite the hopes of many fans for her swift recovery, Kerr will not be participating in the matches scheduled for later this month. The Matildas will face Brazil on November 28 and December 1, before taking on Taiwan on December 4 and 7. Sermanni has named a squad of 36 players for these fixtures, which sees seven uncapped players and eight with ten caps or less included.
Although Sam Kerr's rehabilitation is reportedly going “really, really well,” as Sermanni described, he highlighted the gravity of her injury, indicating it's likely to be at least another year before she’ll be fit enough to return to the pitch. “Her rehab is going really, really, really well, but it’s still probably going to be a 12-month injury,” he said. “She’s taking time to come back to hopefully return completely fit and healthy.”
The news surrounding Kerr had fuelled some speculation when she shared on a BBC podcast last month about having “a little bit more going on than just ACL,” which raised eyebrows about the extent of her injury. Nonetheless, Sermanni emphasized he had no information on any unrelated issues. "Absolutely not. If you’ve heard something, you’re telling me something I’ve not heard,” he responded when asked about possible additional problems.
Set to celebrate major milestones, the upcoming matches are also significant for other Matildas players. The game against Brazil on November 28 is particularly poignant as it will commemorate the retirement of veteran player Clare Polkinghorne, and Emily van Egmond is set to earn her 150th cap with the national team. Meanwhile, Tottenham winger Hayley Raso is making her return after recovering from hamstring trouble, and goalkeeper Teagan Micah is back from ankle issues. Alongside them, players like Chloe Logarzo and Emily Gielnik have also been recalled.
Among the players earning their first call-ups are Isabel Gomez, Leah Davidson, Natasha Prior, and Hana Lowry, marking exciting opportunities for these rising stars. At the same time, some well-known names were surprisingly left out. Cortnee Vine is unavailable due to personal reasons, and the squad is still awaiting the status of Melbourne Victory captain Kayla Morrison, whose eligibility is still being processed by FIFA.
Looking forward, Sermanni mentioned the intention to blend experience with youths throughout the matches. “There’ll be players playing in the initial two games and then there’ll be some going back, some staying on, and then players coming in for the second two games,” he explained, indicating efforts to nurture and evaluate new talent alongside seasoned players.
“The reality is, whoever we play and whenever we play, we still want to put out teams capable of winning, but it’s about balancing those opportunities,” he added.
The Matildas officially kick off their friendlies on November 28, marking the beginning of what promises to be another engaging chapter for the Australian women's team, even as they face the challenge of competing without their iconic captain, Sam Kerr.
