Matildas captain Sam Kerr ruled out of Paris 2024 Olympics
Forward Amy Sayer was also ruled out of the Australian women’s football team with an ACL injury.
Any hope of Matildas captain Sam Kerr recovering from her injury in time to make the Australian women’s football team for the Paris 2024 Olympics was put to rest on Tuesday after the superstar striker was officially ruled out of the upcoming Summer Games.
Sam Kerr sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during Chelsea’s warm-weather training camp in Morocco back in January and has been sidelined since, casting doubts regarding her involvement at the Paris Summer Games.
The Matildas, however, had kept the window open in case of a speedy recovery.
Kerr’s fellow Matildas striker Amy Sayer, who also injured her ACL while playing for Swedish club Kristianstads DFF, was also ruled out of the Paris Games.
“Attacker Amy Sayer (ACL) and forward Sam Kerr (ACL) remain on the sidelines with long-term injuries,” the Australian FA said in a statement.
“Kerr and Sayer will continue their rehabilitation programmes in their home club environments and subsequently will not be available for selection for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” it added.
Both Kerr and Sayer were left out of the 23-member Australian women’s football squad picked by the Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson for the upcoming football friendlies against the People’s Republic of China, to be played in Adelaide and Sydney.
These two matches will be the Matildas’ final preparatory matches before the Paris 2024 Olympics campaign.
In what was a boost for the Matildas, defenders Clare Hunt, Courtney Nevin and goalkeeper Lydia Williams returned to the squad after being unavailable for April’s FIFA international window in the USA.
Midfielder Katrina Gorry, recovering from an ankle injury, and Aivi Luik, nursing her hamstring, also failed to make the 23-woman squad for the China matches but Gustavsson remained hopeful that both players may regain fitness ahead of Paris 2024.
“However, we also have some players in Katrina and Aivi unavailable for selection for this window but most likely will be physically available to be part of an Olympic roster,” he revealed.