SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia captain and top player Sam Kerr said on Saturday she would be available to play in the crunch Women’s World Cup clash against Olympic champions Canada on Monday.
The talismanic striker has been sidelined with a calf injury and missed both the co-hosts’ opening 1-0 win over Ireland and the stunning 3-2 loss to Nigeria that left their campaign hanging by a thread.
“I’m definitely going to be available,” she told reporters at the team base in Brisbane on Saturday.
“But how we decide to use that is, you know, not to be given to the opposition.”
“I would love to tell you guys everything,” she added. “But being in sport a long time, that’s a massive thing that opposition wants to know.”
The Matildas are a point behind Nigeria and Canada in Group B and need all three points from their final opening-round fixture against the North Americans in Melbourne to be guaranteed a spot in the knockout round.
“The plan has always been the same – miss the first two games and then reassess,” Kerr said.
“I’m feeling good. I was out on the pitch today.”
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
