The striker’s calf muscle has been thrust into the spotlight and prompted a debate about how the revelation was handled by the Matildas camp
“I can’t at this time give away too much – I keep it close to my chest.” With those words on Wednesday evening, barely 24 hours before Australia began their Women’s World Cup campaign with a narrow win over Ireland, Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson did nothing to hint at the bombshell he would later drop.
The question had not been intended to elicit anything of the magnitude of the news that would break the following day, that Sam Kerr would miss at least the first two matches of the tournament. It was an innocuous query, a request for a fitness update with two players – Tameka Yallop and Kyah Simon – known to be nursing injuries.
More Stories
Japan gripped by two things: a general election and Shohei Ohtani’s shoulder
Arsenal and Liverpool show hustle and grit but neither look like breaking City’s grip | Barney Ronay
Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action