MELBOURNE: Australia coach Tony Gustavsson has named injured players Kyah Simon, Alanna Kennedy, Chloe Logarzo and Emily Gielnik in a provisional 29-woman squad for next month’s World Cup.
Veteran striker Simon, who missed the 2019 tournament in France due to injury, tore an anterior cruciate ligament in her knee last October and has not played a game since.
She will have a chance to prove her fitness along with centre back Kennedy, whose club season with Manchester City was blighted by injuries.
Midfielder Logarzo was cut by American club Kansas City in March and has battled foot problems since recovering from a serious knee problem.
Gielnik, a 57-cap forward, has not played since suffering an ankle injury in March and was cut by English side Aston Villa.
Seasoned midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight’s World Cup hopes are over, omitted from the squad after suffering an Achilles injury in March.
There was no place for Melbourne City forward Holly McNamara or Danish-based centre back Matilda McNamara, who was part of the squad that upset European champions England 2-0 in April.
The squad will be cut to 23 in early July.
The Matildas are drawn in Group B with Ireland, Nigeria and Canada for the July 20-Aug. 20 tournament co-hosted with New Zealand.
The squad heads to the Gold Coast for a closed training camp through to June 30, with a warm-up against France to follow in Melbourne on July 14.
Australia provisional 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.
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