Sam Kerr emerges with a bandaged calf and a noticeable limp after shock World Cup withdrawal – as Socceroos great at telling Matildas to force her to miss an extra match
- Matildas captain missed World Cup opener due to injury
- Sam Kerr has since stated she’s “all right” and hopes to make an appearance soon
- Socceroos legend Robbie Slater suggested a cautious approach
Matildas superstar Sam Kerr has stated she will be ‘completely fine’ after a calf injury kept her out of Australia’s World Cup opener against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday.
Footage emerged Friday of Kerr, 29, with a bandaged calf and a noticeable limp as she exited a Sydney hotel.
She confirmed she feels good and is confident she will recover from the injury – with her performance as Socceroo’s great Robbie Slater proposing that the captain should be rested for three games instead of the two she would have to miss, meaning she would not play until the World Cup round of 16.
“We want – and have Kerr fit for the knockout stages of the tournament,” he said News Corp.
To ensure she is not allowed to play in Australia’s remaining Group B matches against Nigeria and Canada.
Matildas superstar Sam Kerr has declared she will be ‘completely fine’ after a calf injury kept her out of Australia’s World Cup opener against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday night
Footage emerged Friday of Kerr, 29, with a bandaged calf (pictured left) and a noticeable limp as she left a Sydney hotel
Sam Kerr’s calf will be a big talking point during the Women’s World Cup
‘[For me]do the Matildas have enough depth to finish in the top two of Group B, if not win.
Soft tissue injuries can be tricky, so Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson has to be smart about deciding when Kerr should return.
He can’t let emotion get the better of him. No need to rush Kerr back.’
Stand-in skipper Steph Catley, who scored the winner from the penalty spot in a 1-0 win over the Girls in Green, said Kerr missing the tournament opener on home soil was “one of the most heartbreaking moments of my career”.
Sam is one of the best players in the world. She is our spiritual leader. She means so much to this team,” said the left-back.
“So to have her go down a day earlier than a moment like this was pretty awful, but as a team it added something to us, it added a little extra fire.
“Everyone looked at it and said, ‘Well, I have to come forward now because we don’t have Sam.’ We talked about that and we did it very well.’
Football coach Robbie Slater has urged coach Tony Gustavsson to be patient with his captain’s recovery and to ensure she is not used until the round of 16.
The striker made a dejected figure when she returned to the bench after halftime on Thursday evening
Steph Catley (seen celebrating her penalty goal) said the Matildas were thrilled to perform for Kerr as they took their World Cup tilt to a winning start
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese greets Sam Kerr on the sidelines after the 1-0 win over Ireland
Catley also insisted Kerr, Australia’s all-time top goalscorer with 63 goals in 121 games, would still play a vital role when injured.
“Sam is still here – she still influences the team,” she said.
She’s in every meeting. She’s there at halftime talking to everyone, she does the pre-game talk and she’s still with us.
“So we’ll do everything we can to get as far as we can and hopefully we’ll see Sam later.
“As long as she may miss, she still has a part. She’s huge to us and she’s so, so important.
“She’s our spiritual leader and whatever role she plays will be huge.”