Football Australia (FA) has denied Matildas captain Sam Kerr has torn her calf after Kyra Cooney-Cross inadvertently sent shock waves through a media conference when asked about her teammate’s injury.
Key points:
Football Australia denies Kerr has torn her calfIt says Cooney-Cross used the wrong phrase to describe the injuryThere has been no timeline put on when Kerr may return
Kerr has already been ruled out of Thursday’s Group B match against Nigeria in Brisbane, having sustained a calf injury ahead of last week’s World Cup opener against Ireland in Sydney.
The star striker will be reassessed ahead of the final group match against Canada in Melbourne on July 31 but given the tight turnaround and her lack of involvement in training she appears in serious doubt to play.
On Monday, Kerr — with a compression bandage on her calf — watched on as her teammates trained in Brisbane.
At a media conference following the training session, Cooney-Cross was asked about Kerr’s status and replied: “It’s unfortunate that Sam tore her calf before the game”.
“But as a team we’re just focusing on Nigeria and Sam’s doing her own thing to get back as quick as possible and that’s also important,” she added.
An FA spokesperson denied Kerr had torn her calf but would not confirm the extent of the injury or a timeline for her return.
The spokesperson indicated Cooney-Cross was speaking colloquially and had mistakenly used the wrong phrase.
Kerr has already dismissed suggestions her tournament is over and her teammates have regularly spoken about welcoming her back in the later stages.
“We’ll need her (Kerr) in the back end of this tournament,” midfielder Katrina Gorry told reporters on Monday.
“As long as she’s staying on her plan, then we’ll stay on ours and we’ll get her there.”
Even if Kerr is passed fit to face Canada, the Matildas would hope to be in a position where they do not have to risk playing their skipper.
As the only team in Group B with three points from their opening match, the Matildas can seal progression to the knockout stages with victory over Nigeria, who has one point so far.
If Canada (one point) and Ireland (zero points) draw, a win would lock in top spot for the Matildas ahead of the third group match.
AAP
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