Copper Queens’ opponents at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Australia, have suffered a major injury setback prior to the tournament.,
The Matildas have been drawn into Group B alongside the United States, Germany, and Zambia.
The Copper Queens will begin their 2024 Olympic campaign against the United States on July 25th, followed by a match against the Matildas two days later. They will conclude the group matches with what would be a rematch against Germany, whom they defeated 3-2 in a friendly match in 2023 before the Fifa Women’s World Cup.
However, as the Olympic women’s football tournament approaches, Australia continues to lose key players to injuries.
Katrina Gorry, a West Ham midfielder and one of the key players for the Matildas, suffered an ankle injury while competing for her club in the Women’s Super League against Chelsea two weeks ago.
Gorry was forced off the field after just 21 minutes as West Ham lost 2-0 to Chelsea in the league match. The ankle injury has cast doubt on Gorry’s Olympic participation in four months.
The 31-year-old will miss the remainder of the 2023/24 season remains a doubt for the Olympics as she underwent surgery last week and now her rehab programme at Chadwell Heath.
“I’ve spent the last few days sitting with my emotions. Now it’s time to face this next challenge and trust in my body to come back stronger and more in love with the game,” Gorry wrote in her social media posts.
Sam Kerr blows
Gory is not the only key player who has been injured; ahead of the summer Olympics in Paris, their captain and star striker Sam Kerr has an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and could be out for up to a year.
Kerr has injured her ACL twice, the first time in 2011 when she was forced to withdraw from the 2012 Olympics in London.
She has not yet been ruled out of this year’s Games, which take place in late July-August, but the Matildas described it as a ‘ruptured’ ligament, which usually necessitates surgery and at least nine months of rehabilitation and recovery.
Clare Hunt and Courtney Nevin, both defenders, are listed as doubtful due to injuries.
Australia will face China in a pre-Olympic friendly in Adelaide on May 31, after which the final Paris 2024 squad will be announced.
The Australian women will begin their Olympic campaign against Germany on July 6. At Tokyo 2020, Australia finished fourth after losing the bronze medal match to the United States.
They also advanced to the semifinals of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, but were eliminated by England after a 3-1 defeat.
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