Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Coach Joe Montemurro isn’t concerned about Sam Kerr’s ankle soreness but has left the door open to keep the superstar striker off the field for the Matildas’ clash against Haiti.
Kerr was taken off in the 64th minute in Australia’s 4-2 loss to Germany on Saturday (AEDT) after her ankle was trodden on in the first half.
The Gotham FC forward revealed her ankle was still sore post-match, casting doubt on her fitness for the Haiti clash on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) in France, which comes as the side ramp up preparations for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Montemurro assured the media that Kerr’s ankle was fine, but added that she was one of a few players on his radar for a much-needed rest.
“There will be some changes … We’re just going to do a little bit of fatigue management for some of the players who have played a lot of football with their clubs,” the coach said on Monday.
“Sam hasn’t had rest. She hasn’t had an off-season. She’s gone straight from the WSL (with Chelsea) into the NWSL.
“I’m very conscious of probably four or five of the players who have started the season in a big way.”
The Matildas only have limited windows before the next year’s World Cup, and Montemurro insists that Haiti will be a stern test for the Australians despite their world ranking of No.47 and losing to Japan 5-1 on Saturday.
It’s a stark difference to Germany, who are ranked No.3.
But the coach knows the firepower they possess, partly because he worked with star attacking midfielder Melchie Dumornay at Lyon.
“(I had) the honour and the pleasure of working with Melchie Dumornay. (She’s) first of all, an amazing person, but a world-class player,” Montemurro said.
“She has a lot of different qualities that are fantastic.
“We don’t pretend that Haiti is a low-ranked team … It’s a massive chance for us to try some things from our perspective leading up to the World Cup.”
Beyond immediate preparations, Montemurro admitted he’s also mulling over a coaching staff shake-up ahead of the showpiece event in Brazil.
It comes after Socceroos mentor Tony Popovic added former captain Mile Jedinak to his coaching team before their World Cup in North America earlier this year.
“We’ve spoken about a couple of ex-Matildas who have done well in the coaching areas,” Montemurro said.
“I would learn a lot off Clare (Polkinghorne). She’s been to World Cups. She’s been to Olympic Games. I haven’t.
“She would have a fantastic outlook on probably emotional and other things that are really important.”
