Still no Sam Kerr as Matildas name under-strength squad for Argentina friendlies | OneFootball

The long wait for Sam Kerr’s return to competitive football continues with the Matildas skipper missing from Australia’s squad for upcoming friendlies against Argentina.

Kerr is into a 16th month of recuperation after undergoing surgery on a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament sustained in January 2024, and while she tentatively returned to the training field at her club Chelsea towards the end of the Women’s Super League season, she is not yet deemed ready for a recall to the national set up.

“She’s tracking pretty well, but she’s not just quite ready yet to come in and play,” the Matildas interim coach, Tom Sermanni, said.

“From our situation, it’s a camp by camp sort of scenario. Obviously, for Chelsea, now they’re at the end of their season, so now they’ll be looking at her coming back and ready for the pre-season to start next season.”

Kerr tagged along as a cheerleader last time the Matildas ran out for two friendlies against South Korea in April, and with games against Slovenia and Panama locked in for July, Sermanni said a situation in which she returns to play through the Matildas was a possibility.

“That’s one of the scenarios, and probably not a bad one,” Sermanni said. “I think that will depend on Sam and Chelsea. So it could be that Chelsea say, well, if – and I’m saying if – that Sam feels that she’s ready, and they feel that she’s ready to come back for our next window, whether they think, ‘well, it’d be good for you to come and get some game time.’ That might happen.

“If, on the other hand, they say, ‘look, we just want her now to take this time get her preparation really well done, so that come the start of pre-season, she’s ready to go.’ That’s, I would say, probably a more likely scenario. But again that’s something that I can’t answer specifically.”

Kerr, who announced the birth of her first child last week, is joined in the long-term injury list by Mary Fowler – another victim of an ACL injury – while experienced duo Ellie Carpenter and Katrina Gorry have been left out of this latest squad after being granted personal leave.

Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold and midfielder Tameka Yallop will also miss the two-match series against world No 33 Argentina – to be played in Melbourne on 30 May and Canberra on 2 June – with respective lower leg and hamstring injuries.

The absences pave the way for several fringe players and one new call-up to gain experience in an international camp. Uncapped keeper Morgan Aquino earns a recall to the squad following consistent performances in the USL Super League, while Isabel Gomez is rewarded for her scintillating A-League Women form for grand finalists Central Coast Mariners.

Kahli Johnson, the 21-year-old former Western United and now Calgary Fire attacker, has been called up for the first time, while Amy Sayer is welcomed back into the fold after successfully rehabilitating from her own ACL injury. Goalkeeper Jada Whyman also returns after an extended injury layoff.

The games against Argentina come off the back of two encouraging wins against Korea, which were viewed as something of a return to form for the team following a disastrous She Believes Cup campaign in the US.

Sermanni will take charge of the team for the miniseries, but is expected to stand aside afterwards with Lyon coach Joe Montemurro heavily fancied to take over the role full-time. Sermanni said the former Arsenal boss “would do fantastic in the job”.

“He knows the players intimately,” Sermanni said. “He’s coached at the highest level for a very long time. And he’s been extraordinarily successful. There’ll be no issue with Joe coming in and doing the job very, very well.”

Matildas squad

Morgan Aquino, Tegan Micah, Jada Whyman; Steph Catley, Charlotte Grant, Winonah Heatley, Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy, Courtney Nevin, Natasha Prior, Jamilla Rankin; Kyra Cooney-Cross, Leah Davidson, Isabel Gomez, Amy Sayer, Emily van Egmond, Clare Wheeler; Caitlin Foord, Bryleeh Henry, Michelle Heyman, Kahli Johnson, Holly McNamara, Kaitlyn Torpey

Header image: [Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP]