She may not be at full fitness, but Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson has identified Caitlin Foord as a key figure ahead of Saturday night's clash with Brazil in Sydney.
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Foord and her teammates will play their first game on Australian soil since March 2020 when the countries meet in a friendly at CommBank Stadium. The teams will also meet again on Tuesday evening.
Foord has spent the past 18 months developing her craft at Arsenal, while she has also pulled on the green and gold jersey more than 80 times. The Shellharbour product is unlikely to play the full game as she works her way back into football following a quad strain suffered last month, but Gustavsson believes the 26-year-old will still play a key role against the world number seven ranked side.
"Caitlin is always important for us for different reasons. One, her individual skills set on the ball, and the way she can slide out of pressure and connect with Sam (Kerr) and the front three. And also the way she helps in our pressing game. She's a smart defender and she commits to run without the ball. I know that playing here, and playing Brazil, is likely going to motivate her even more," the coach said.
"But we need to remember that she's coming back from a rehab process in club land, so she's also one of those that the SSSM (sports science/sports medicine) team have told me to be a little mindful about in terms of total playing time.
"Is she available for selection? Yes. But we also need to balance this. So when you see some rotations during those games, it could be for tactical reasons, but it could also be for the protection of players, so we don't expose them to the risk of getting a setback. Caitlin Foord is one of them and Kyah Simon is another one coming back from injury. But I'm really looking forward to seeing Caitlin back on the field."
Saturday night will also mark the first time the Matildas have played since Lisa De Vanna made bullying and harrassment allegations.
The former Matildas striker alleges she suffered same-sex sexual harassment, abuse and bullying during her decorated international career. W-League stalwart Rhali Dobson also alleges she was a target of sexual harassment in her career.
Football Australia announced on Friday that Sport Integrity Australia will independently receive, assess and manage complaints and reports relating to Australia's national teams and A-Leagues sides.
"I want to show the respect and support to everyone who is in the centre of this. I understand how challenging that is for everyone, including those who love our game and our team," Gustavsson said. "I also want to make sure that I'm very clear that the well-being of the players and staff in the team is the number one priority for us, and we need to do everything in our power to make sure we create a safe and inclusive environment in the Matildas.
"We need to face this head on and be willing to get one day better in every aspect, on and off the field."
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