Caitlin Foord, a key player for the Matildas, suffered a hamstring injury during a 1-1 draw against China in a women’s football friendly on Friday night. The Arsenal-based star was subbed on but had to leave the field after just 15 minutes of play at Adelaide Oval.
“I’m a bit concerned,” said Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson. “It’s easy to say after something like that happens – should I really have used her today or should I have let her rest? We don’t know how serious it is but she felt something. If it had been a World Cup or Olympic game, she would have tried to play on, but we wouldn’t risk it at this point.”
A late goal by Michelle Heyman secured a draw for the Matildas after they were initially outplayed by China, who had taken the lead with a goal from Zhang Lynyan. The Australian team improved after Gustavsson made substitutions, bringing on key players for the last 35 minutes.
The match revealed potential squad dilemmas for the upcoming Paris Olympics, as Gustavsson experimented with the lineup by not starting several top players. The Matildas will face China again in Sydney, with the Olympic squad set to be announced the following day.
