Sam Kerr returns for Australia ahead of must-win Women's World Cup match against Canada
CTV
Sam Kerr is set to return for Australia at the Women's World Cup just in time for a must-win match against Canada. If the Matildas lose, the tournament co-hosts will be eliminated.
Sam Kerr is set to return for Australia at the Women's World Cup just in time for a must-win match against Canada. If the Matildas lose, the tournament co-hosts will be eliminated.
That was barely even a consideration ahead of this World Cup, with Kerr expected to take Australia deep into the tournament for perhaps a shot at the championship. But the star striker missed the home team's first two matches with a calf injury.
She announced ahead of Monday's match in Melbourne that she will play against Canada, the Olympic gold medalists in Tokyo. A win will put Australia into the knockout round for the fifth consecutive time. A shocking 3-2 loss to Nigeria dropped Australia to third in Group B, behind Nigeria and Canada, and a loss in the last group game would be devastating for the co-hosts.
Kerr is Australia's all-time leading scorer with 63 goals in 121 games.
"I'm definitely going to be available," Kerr said, "but how we decide to use that is not to be given to the opposition."
Australia's head coach Tony Gustavsson said during the team's pre-match news conference that the coaching staff and the medical team would meet with Kerr "and discuss what the possibilities are to play tomorrow."
He said they'd do more tests on Monday more "to see what it looks like."
