Matildas blow with Ellie Carpenter and Katrina Gorry to sit out two-match series with Argentina
The Matildas have suffered yet another brutal blow to the team with superstar vice-captain Ellie Carpenter to sit out of the upcoming two-match series against Argentina in Australia.
Carpenter has been granted personal leave and, in more bad news for the 23-player squad, West Ham midfielder Katrina Gorry has also been ruled out of the series with personal leave.
Australian captain Sam Kerr was again not named and high-profile striker Manchester City's Mary Fowler is also out as she recovers from her knee injury.
Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold (lower leg) and midfielder Tameka Yallop (hamstring) have also been ruled out of the friendlies due to injury.
Football Australia did not got into further detail about their absence.
The absence of the high-profile stars is sad news for fans who were hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite players.
The two-match series will kick off in Melbourne (Marvel Stadium) on May 30 with another game in Canberra (GIO Stadium) on June 2.
While Kerr is still missing, Football Australia has named Amy Sayer, who has successfully completed her rehabilitation following an ACL injury sustained in May 2024.
Goalkeeper Jada Whyman is also back in the squad after an extended injury layoff, while Morgan Aquino earns a recall following consistent performances in the USL Super League.
The Matildas will look to build on their strong results against South Korea last month, having won both matches.
Australia are yet to name a new coach, who had been expected to take the reins from interim coach Tom Sermanni for these upcoming games.
Joe Montemurro was reported as the leading contender last week. He is poised to leave French club Lyon at the end of the season to take up the Matildas role, which has remained vacant amid a protracted recruitment process since Tony Gustavsson departed last August.
Sermanni, who welcomed Kerr back into the squad before the Korea games (even though she did not play), said the Argentina matches were an important step towards the Asian Cup, which will be hosted in Australia next year.
'We were pleased with how the group responded during the Korea Republic series as it showed that we have solid foundations as we continue to build depth and work on strengthening areas of improvement,' Sermanni said.
'Every window brings us closer to the Asian Cup, and each match is a chance to improve our identity, develop our playing style further, and build the cohesion we'll need to be successful next year,' he said.
Matildas 23-player squad
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