Veteran striker Kyah Simon will get the chance to make a late and once unlikely run at the Women’s World Cup after being named in the Matildas’ provisional extended squad.
Simon appeared almost certain to miss a second consecutive World Cup through injury after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament in October and failing to play a competitive game since.
The striker, who turns 32 later this month, will join the likes of Alanna Kennedy, Chloe Logarzo and Emily Gielnik in a race against time to prove their fitness before the squad is cut down from 29 to 23.
But the surprise omission from the extended squad is Melbourne City starlet Holly McNamara.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The provisional squad will head into a closed training camp on the Gold Coast for preparations before heading to Melbourne ahead of the final squad announcement and the July 14 friendly against France.
Simon was left out of the 2019 squad by then-coach Ante Milicic after injury ruined her lead-in to the tournament.
She attended the 2011 and 2015 tournaments, including scoring the winner against Brazil in the latter tournament to send Australia into the quarter-finals, their best finish yet at a World Cup.
Kennedy has been plagued by injuries since joining Manchester City.
The central defender only made seven appearances across all competitions for City and hasn’t played for the Matildas since their series against Canada in September.
Logarzo hasn’t played a club game since January after recovering from a knee reconstruction, only to battle plantar fasciitis.
Former Aston Villa forward Gielnik’s season ended in March due to an ankle injury.
The squad is headlined by a plethora of Europe-based stars, including Sam Kerr, Ellie Carpenter and Caitlin Foord.
“From the first day of our first training session in 2021, we said it would take 23 in 23 for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and everyone would have a role to play in that journey,” coach Tony Gustavsson said in a statement.
“What we have seen is that it has actually taken more than 23 players to bring us to this moment and for that reason I am thrilled to work with the players named in this provisional squad during the final phase of our preparation.
“I have been impressed by their full commitment at every step, and now we have the chance to fine tune and solidify our gameplan ahead of a phenomenally exciting couple of weeks.”
MATILDAS’ PRELIMINARY WOMEN’S WORLD CUP SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Mackenzie Arnold, Teagan Micah, Jada Whyman, Lydia Williams
Defenders: Ellie Carpenter, Steph Catley, Charlotte Grant, Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy, Aivi Luik, Courtney Nevin, Clare Polkinghorne
Midfielders: Alex Chidiac, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Katrina Gorry, Chloe Logarzo, Amy Sayer, Emily van Egmond, Clare Wheeler, Tameka Yallop
Forwards: Larissa Crummer, Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler, Emily Gielnik, Sam Kerr, Hayley Raso, Remy Siemsen, Kyah Simon, Cortnee Vine.
© AAP
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