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Matildas Head Coach Joe Montemurro used his latest media appearance to provide critical updates on the fitness of two of the team\’s most important attacking players, Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler, as the national side prepares for the 2026 AFC Women\’s Asian Cup in March.
Fowler’s Strategic Delay for Maximum Fitness
The biggest injury news focused on 22-year-old Mary Fowler, who has been sidelined since rupturing her ACL in April. Montemurro was optimistic about her timeline, confirming she is making an excellent recovery.
\”It looks like she will get a fairly good runway into the Asian Cup,\” Montemurro stated.
The coach revealed that while Fowler could have returned slightly earlier (potentially after seven months), the decision was made in coordination with Manchester City to hold her back a little longer to ensure a full, successful return.
\”We\’ve decided to just hold on a little bit more and just give it that little bit more time… I\’m sure she\’ll be right for the Asian Cup,\” he added. The upcoming Christmas break is seen as a logical buffer before her final push to match fitness.
Meanwhile, Sam Kerr is confirmed to wear the captain’s armband for the two-match series against New Zealand, marking her first appearance on Australian soil in over two years.
Despite scoring goals in the Champions League, Montemurro cautioned that the striker still needs careful workload management following her own ACL injury.
\”She got 90 minutes during the week in the Champions League… That\’s where we want Sam to be, but she still needs to be managed,\” Montemurro said, explaining that strategic use of her minutes in the recent games against Wales and England was key to her smooth re-entry.
The Matildas will face New Zealand in Gosford on Friday, November 28, 2025, as they continue to stabilize the squad ahead of the Asian Cup.
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