Australia opened the tournament with star player Sam Kerr out injured for at least two matches, and now Kerr’s replacement is hurt, too, heading into a Group B match against Nigeria.
Mary Fowler joined Kerr on the injury list one day before the Thursday match in Brisbane. Fowler, a striker who also plays for Manchester City, suffered a concussion in a recent practice.
The Matildas pulled out a 1-0 victory over Ireland in their opening match and now their depth will be tested.
“I think we could play any one of us right now in the starting 11 and it would be the same as what we do on the training pitch,” midfielder Tameka Yallop said earlier this week. “I think everyone has that ability and capability to step up and be a star at any point.”
Building depth has been a priority for manager Tony Gustavsson throughout his first three years in charge of the Matildas. Shortly after he was hired, a December 2020 performance report released by Football Australia showed the program had the least overall depth of the 12 leading nations analyzed.
The Matildas’ struggles to replace injured defender Clare Polkinghorne during the 2019 Women’s World Cup contributed to their exit in the round of 16, their worst finish since 2003.
Nigeria was pleased with its 0-0 draw against Canada in the opening match, and the Super Falcons have kept a clean sheet in three of their last four matches. The big moment for Nigeria was when goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie stopped Canada star Christine Sinclair’s penalty kick.
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