No coach, stars 'in limbo': The major issues Matildas must fix before hosting 2026 Asian Cup
The countdown to the Asian Cup is on and the pressure to fix lingering dilemmas across the Matildas camp continues to mount.
Many of the nation's biggest stars are about to go into the off-season with their club teams, but for some the break will be longer than others.
With the women's Asian Cup to be hosted on Australian soil early next year, here are some of the burning questions the Matildas will need to answer before the first whistle on March 1.
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Injury crisis rocks immediate plans
Mary Fowler will race the clock to return to full fitness in time for a home Asian Cup as she prepares to begin her rehabilitation journey for an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The recovery time for an ACL injury tends to span between nine to 12 months, although many top athletes require extra time to ensure they are fully healed.
Such recovery timeline would see Fowler return to training in early February when the Matildas will likely be preparing to enter national team camp.
The injury comes at a tough time for the Matildas as many were hopeful Fowler would be the next in line to lead the team's attack, with interim coach Tom Sermanni seemingly unlocking her potential in Australia's last game.
The 22-year-old had her best season to date with Manchester City as she recorded a total of 10 goals and 10 assists across all competitions.
Mary Fowler high-fives Sam Kerr. Getty
As it stands, Fowler's teammate Sam Kerr will likely resume her role in attack for the tournament.
The 31-year-old suffered an ACL injury like Fowler during a training session with Chelsea in January 2024 and has still yet to return to the field at any level 16 months later.
Kerr's return to the national team has been highly anticipated by fans in recent months as club team Chelsea continues to avoid taking a risk to field the Australian striker.
"Sam is progressing in her rehab, but I don't have enough elements to say if we will see her this season," Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor said of Kerr's return on Wednesday.
"Hopefully yes (before the end of the season), but it is difficult for me to say."
In a more promising sign for Fowler, Ellie Carpenter managed to return to the pitch just eight months after rupturing her ACL with Lyon.
It remains unknown when Kerr will be back in action, but it has become clear that she will only play minimal minutes with the Matildas before entering the Asian Cup.
Whoever is elected to take over interim coach Sermanni for the home tournament will also have to find an answer to help several other stars who are nursing injuries.
Hayley Raso and Carpenter failed to don the green and gold jersey in the side's recent friendly against Korea due to late injury concerns during camp.
Both players have not taken to the field at club level since the national team friendlies as they continue their respective recovery journey.
Tameka Yallop is also under an injury cloud after she went down with a hamstring injury during the Brisbane Roar's 2-0 defeat to Melbourne Victory.
Depending on the severity of Yallop's injury, set to be confirmed in the coming days, she could be in doubt to play in the side's next friendly against Argentina in May.
Tameka Yallop of Australia and Saki Kumagai of Japan battle for the ball. Getty
Nine months with no coach
It has been nine months since Tony Gustavsson announced he would be stepping down from his duties as coach and Football Australia have still yet to find his successor.
Calls for the governing body to find his replacement have continued to grow from the playing group as interim coach Sermanni looks to step into retirement.
Former Matilda Melissa Barbieri fears if Football Australia are pressured to make a call too soon it could have greater consequences for the team's development.
But stand-in captain Steph Catley fears the team may have been left in limbo too long.
"It's hard as a playing group when you're in limbo a little bit," she said over the weekend.
Steph Catley celebrates a goal during the AFC Women's Asian Olympic Qualifier against the Philippines. Getty
"You haven't got clear direction in how we're going to play moving forward.
"It is difficult when you're trying to build towards something specific and it's been a while since we've sort of had that.
"The girls have been doing the absolute best that they can and we've been sticking together and galvanising as a group. That'll be important for us going forward."
Who will step into the top job?
Australia has seen the resignation of assistant women's coach Melissa Andreatta in recent weeks as she accepted a head coach position with Scotland.
Young Matildas coach Leah Blayney also moved on from Football Australia to join Japan as an assistant coach.
So who will be the next coach?
Lyon coach Joe Montemurro has emerged as the leading contender to land the top job but will not be able to step into the role until the end of the European season in May.
The Australian manager has had great success with several European and English giants overseas and also took charge of the A-League women's All Stars team last year.
Montemurro is familiar with many of the national team's regular starters as he has coached the likes of Catley, Caitlin Foord and Carpenter in recent years.
Joe Montemurro. Getty Images for APL
"He's a great coach," Catley said when asked about the prospect of Montemurro joining the Matildas coaching staff.
"I've had him a couple of times and he's doing well over there at Lyon (but) I'm not picking the coach. It's just not my role.
"We'll wait and see and hopefully it gets done sooner rather than later."
If not Montemurro, the likes of John Aloisi and Ante Juric have been floated for the job.
Road to the 2026 Asian Cup
Despite a troubling run since a home World Cup in 2023, the support around Australia's most beloved team has not been dimmed.
Ticket sales for the team's upcoming friendly matches have been in high demand in the nation's capital with 20,000 sold in less than 48 hours.
The only tickets left at the time of publication for the clash at GIO Stadium were located in a corporate box.
Yet, the road to the 2026 Asian Cup will still be a rollercoaster task for the Matildas as they continue to work out off-field dilemmas and on-field struggles.
On the pitch, the next generation of stars will continue to fight for their spots in the main travelling squad as Sermanni experiments with new combinations and talent each game.
Leah Davidson and Holly McNamara are among those who are vying for a regular spot on the national team, having both starred for Melbourne City in the Ninja A-League.
With no timeline on when the team can expect to meet their new coach, it is likely Sermanni will still be in charge when Australia faces Argentina on May 30 and June 2.
Additional friendly battles could be held in late June or July if a coach is to be appointed.
