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The mystery of Sam Kerr: Just how healthy is Australia's star striker?
Australia has been gripped by the Women's World Cup — but perhaps even more so by the lingering mystery surrounding its best player.
Is Sam Kerr healthy? Or is there an elaborate ruse being played by the star forward and her national team, known as the Matildas?
Kerr, the most dangerous and effective striker in women’s soccer, did not feature for a single minute during the group stage, having sustained a calf injury on the very eve of the tournament.
Kerr is one of the faces of the tournament, and the home nation’s strong fan base can’t quite work out what to make of the ongoing soap opera regarding her health and availability.
Kerr was pronounced as being ready to go for the third group game, but was not introduced off the substitutes’ bench as Australia romped to a 4-0 rout of Canada.
Yet now there are doubts whether she will feature in Monday’s round of 16 clash with Denmark (coverage begins at 6 a.m. ET, with kickoff at 6:30 a.m. on FS1) — and the Aussie media is sensing a cover-up.
Former men’s national team goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, now a pundit with Optus Sport, watched Kerr’s movements intently in the warm-up for the Canada game and admitted he is starting to wonder if there is more to the situation than either the player or coach Tony Gustavsson is letting on.
"With Sam, look, it’s as good as anyone’s guess," Schwarzer said on "Daily Kick Off." "She declared that she was fit. We saw in the warm-up before the Canada game that she didn’t kick a single ball, so I don’t think she was fit at all.
"What we’re getting [access to] is that 15-minute window when we get to watch training. We don’t know what happens beyond that. At the moment they are being very, very tight-lipped and, more often than not, not necessarily being completely up-front with us about Sam’s availability.
"I’m still suspicious as to whether or not Sam is even fit to play this next game."
Sam Kerr speaks on her potential return after calf injury
During the most recent portion of training seen by media members, Kerr did not join the rest of the squad for their practice activities, but instead cycled on a stationary bike by the side of the field.
According to team officials, that approach was all part of the plan to manage her workload and maximize her effectiveness. If it is all a ruse, the team is putting on a convincing display … kind of.
"[Sam] has her own individual plan that she’s doing with the doctor and [physical therapist], getting her ready to join in with the team," goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold told reporters.
"What she had to do, she looked like she was quite comfortable doing it, and she was in high spirits. So, I assumed it all went well."
Further information — accurate information at least — might be elusive.
In the build-up to the Canada match, Schwarzer asked Gustavsson no fewer than five times whether Kerr had trained with the team and was met with the kind of half-answers and veiled responses that sports coaches are so proficient at.
"It was quite frustrating" — Australia's Sam Kerr talks about her injury
Australia, with high hopes for the Matildas to go deep into the bracket, holds its breath.
And the uncertainty surrounding Kerr has created some difficulty in the preparatory plans of Denmark — which might, of course, be the whole point of the cloak-and-dagger routine.
"She is perhaps the best striker in the world," Denmark coach Lars Sondergaard said. "Of course, you have to have an eye on her — if she's fit."
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.
