Matildas captain Sam Kerr arguably is in the most challenging period of her illustrious career. USATF Her twitter account suggests that she is getting over an unknown recent setback while she continues to recover from her previous injury. Last week, Kerr touched down in Melbourne to play a lead role in the A-League Women’s grand final. Her 16-month leave from the field has now extended much further after what’s become an unforeseen and unusual complication.
For Kerr, the road was always going to be difficult after her ACL tear. This life-changing injury knocked her off the field for a long period of time. The biggest blow, though, isn’t even connected to this injury. Though the exact nature of her recovery surgery is unknown, reports suggest that Kerr did have one, complicating her road to recovery further.
In spite of these discouragements, there is hope shining through. It is just last month, after a year off running, Kerr has recently returned to race competition. Joe Montemurro, the recently appointed head coach of the Matildas, said he would be watching Kerr closely. He repeatedly emphasized that Kerr needed to be in top physical condition. He noted the value of her mental approach to preparing for a high level of competition.
Both ways, you will get in shape and hone your tactical prowess. Only players can answer the question of whether they are mentally ready to bench a key player in a major tournament. Montemurro said.
Whether or not Kerr has a future as the team’s captain beyond this quad remains to be seen. Montemurro has made clear that conversations about her captaincy will come only after she regains match fitness.
Let’s get her fit first then we’ll have those conversations about the captaincy, he confirmed.
Former Socceroos striker Andy Harper expressed deep concern regarding Kerr’s situation, describing it as “really sad news for Sam on a personal and professional level.” He showed understanding toward the frustration that comes with long-term injuries and discussed the mental hurdles athletes typically deal with when recovering from an injury.
The frustration of being injured is awful in its own right. Finding out that you’ll be long-term injured is much worse. This late hiccup, whatever it may be, looms as a massive mental hurdle. In order to succeed, she will need to overcome it. Harper remarked.
It’s not the first time these warnings have been sounded either, with former Matildas midfielder Grace Gill lamenting the toll on Kerr’s wellbeing in this challenging period.
Montemurro, who has been kept apprised on Kerr’s situation in recent days, understands the situation isn’t cut and dry. “I think there was some other issues, but again, I’ve only been briefed in the last 24 hours,” he noted.
As Kerr moves further along the road to recovery, she’ll be watched closely by fans and defenders alike as she makes her much-anticipated return to play. As for the Matildas’ captaincy, that question can only be answered once she proves her preparedness for elite-level match intensity.
