Sam Kerr edges closer to injury return in final Matildas friendly vs New Zealand before Asian Cup
Sam Kerr stayed on the bench for the first game against New Zealand on Friday due to a calf complaint. (Getty Images: Andy Cheung)
In short:
Sam Kerr is "in the mix" to play in the Matildas' next match against New Zealand after missing their first with a calf complaint.
Kerr made her long-awaited return for the Matildas in October in a 3-0 loss against England — her first international action since 2023.
What's next?
The Matildas play New Zealand in Adelaide on Tuesday night, in their last scheduled match before the Asian Cup starts in March next year.
Coach Joe Montemurro says his grand picture for the Matildas remains incomplete, regardless if captain Sam Kerr returns from injury against New Zealand.
Montemurro's Matildas meet the New Zealanders in Adelaide on Tuesday night in their last friendly before the Asian Cup next March.
Kerr missed Australia's 5-0 trouncing of the Football Ferns in Gosford last Friday night because of a calf complaint.
But the brilliant striker is in the selection frame for her first home-soil game in two years after completing match-eve training.
"She is in the mix," Montemurro told reporters on Monday.
"She is training with us, she has been in the last two camps.
Sam Kerr has been training with the Matildas in their last few camps. (Getty Images: Sarah Reed)
"We're obviously looking at a lot of different scenarios leading into a tournament … we have to be prepared for many, many different scenarios.
"And Sam's a component of that, like every other player … she's tracking well, she's growing at Chelsea with match minutes, and she has really integrated well here, which isn't a surprise."
Montemurro said Australia's Asian Cup preparations would be challenged when Kerr and teammates returned to their clubs after Tuesday night's friendly.
"We've obviously got all the statistical data," he said.
"But as far as we're concerned, just with every player, we manage every player accordingly and they're all at different levels and they're all at different scenarios.
"We need them here, to paint the pictures for the scenarios at the Asian Cup.
"We've been building an idea of football because we believe it's what we need to go ahead, not just to the Asian Cup, but as a nation and also as an elite national team.
"We saw signs of it (in Gosford). Do we need some more continuity? Absolutely.
"How we're going to find that continuity when they all go away tomorrow night, it might be difficult.
"But the thing that I've said from day one is to get some key messages on what we believe is the best way to approach games, and we saw a good base the other night."
Montemurro forecast changes to his starting side, without offering detail.
"There's a couple of things — to use the expression of ticking the boxes — tactically, I still need to see a couple of things that will then give us all the scenarios and ammunition ready for the Asian Cup," he said.
"There's a few technical things I want to see, a few technical combinations, so there could be some changes."
AAP