Australia confirms Kerr to miss Paris Olympics

Australia have confirmed captain Sam Kerr will miss the women’s Olympic football at the Paris Games while recovering from a serious knee injury.

The Chelsea striker suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury at a training camp in Morocco in January and her participation in Paris was highly doubtful.

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Football Australia (FA) ended the speculation on Tuesday in a squad announcement for Australia’s two-match home series against China which starts in Adelaide on May 31.

“Attacker Amy Sayer (ACL) and forward Sam Kerr (ACL) remain on the sidelines with long term injuries,” FA said.

“Kerr and Sayer will continue their rehabilitation programmes in their home club environments and subsequently will not be available for selection for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”

Australia coach Tony Gustavsson said the 23-woman squad named on Tuesday was a strong guide to his final Olympic lineup but some omitted players, like injured midfielders Katrina Gorry and Aivi Luik, could come into consideration.

“[They] most likely will be physically available to be part of an Olympic roster,” Gustavsson said of Gorry and Luik.

“This window will be a tough one for me and my staff in terms of evaluating players, where they are, and then the final selection process for Paris.”

Australia will bid for their first Olympic medal at Paris after making the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup on home soil last year.