Australia's Sam Kerr reacts during the Women's World Cup third place playoff soccer match between Australia and Sweden in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. Kerr will miss Australia's upcoming friendlies against Canada due to injury.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Tertius Pickard
LONDON – Captain Sam Kerr will miss Australia’s upcoming friendlies against Canada with a foot injury.
Chelsea, Kerr’s English club team, said the 30-year-old star forward will stay with the London-based side for treatment during the international window.
Canada, currently ranked 10th in the world, hosts the No. 11 Matildas on Friday at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C., and Dec. 5 in Vancouver at B.C. Place Stadium in Canada’s captain Christine Sinclair’s final two outings in Canadian colours.
The Canada women are well acquainted with Kerr given that Kadeisha Buchanan, Jessie Fleming and Ashley Lawrence are teammates at Chelsea. Kerr was replaced by Fleming in the 81st minute of Chelsea’s 5-2 win over Leicester City on Sunday.
Kerr, who made her Australian senior debut at 15, is the Matildas’ all-time scorer with 69 goals. Her last international strike, the Australian women’s team 900th goal, came in a 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei earlier this month in an Olympic qualifier in Perth, Australia.
Kerr, nursing a calf injury, missed out on Australia’s 4-0 win over Canada at the World Cup in July in Melbourne, a resulted that sent the Canadian women home before the knockout round. She saw action later in the tournament as the co-host Matildas finished fourth.
Kerr joins goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold (West Ham, England, defender Charlotte Grant (Vittsjö GIK, Sweden) and Melbourne City FC forward Holly McNamara on the Australian injured list.
Arnold started for Australia while Grant came off the bench against Canada at the World Cup.
Midfielder Sarah Hunter, a Paris FC player and former Australia under-20 captain, will replace Kerr in the Matildas touring squad.
Australia coach Tony Gustavsson has also summoned Sydney FC goalkeeper Jada Whyman, Tigres UANL (Mexico) midfielder Alex Chidiac and Leicester City forward Remy Siemsen.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2023
