Sam Kerr will return for the Matildas at the Women’s World Cup, according to her strike partner Caitlin Foord.
Australian captain Kerr missed the opening match last week against Ireland after suffering a calf injury in training, and will be absent from the Matildas’ encounter with Nigeria this Thursday.
The team have been cagey about the severity of her injury, only indicating that her health will be reassessed ahead of the final group match against Canada next week.
But Arsenal forward Foord told World Cup broadcaster Optus Sport on Tuesday that Kerr will “definitely be back this tournament”.
Foord looked to allay concerns about the impact of Kerr’s absence, saying the team was accustomed to playing with or without their star striker, having been in camp together since early June.
“We had a lot of weeks together coming into the tournament and everyone was kind of at different stages,” Foord said.
“So some people would miss different sessions and we would work around that. So there had been a moment where Sam was out of training, and me and Mary were in that nine to 10 role. So it wasn’t new to us when we had to go to the game like that.”
Foord said that Kerr was working hard to return to the pitch. “Sam being Sam, she wanted the focus to be on the team and not about her and yeah, she’s just doing everything possible to be in the best condition for when she does step back on the pitch,” she said.
There has been intense speculation in recent days about Kerr’s fitness, which was compounded on Monday when young midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross described the injury as a calf “tear”. Football Australia officials were quick to clarify that Cooney-Cross had misspoken – that this diagnosis was incorrect and that it had simply been a slip of the tongue.
But the national team have otherwise declined to provide further updates on Kerr’s recovery and whether she is likely return for the clash with Canada.
The Matildas faced another injury scare during a closed training session on Tuesday, with Mary Fowler taking a knock that required her to be assessed by medical staff.
The incident was reported by Optus Sport after Fowler was unable to participate in a pre-scheduled interview with the broadcaster.
Guardian Australia has confirmed with Football Australia that Fowler was given a “precautionary assessment”, but that at this stage there are no concerns about her fitness.
Fowler started against Ireland as a replacement for Kerr, meaning any injury to the Manchester City forward would be a significant blow for the Matildas.
The Matildas play Nigeria on Thursday evening in Brisbane. A win would guarantee the Australians progression through to the round of 16, with one group stage match remaining.
