Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson has finalised the 24-player squad due to face Scotland and world number four England early next month, with defender Ellie Carpenter and winger Holly McNamara recalled after recovering from ACL injuries over the past year.
Twenty-one of the players called into the upcoming camp were part of Australia's title-winning Cup of Nations team in February, with the exception of vice-captain Steph Catley and Aston Villa forward Emily Gielnik, both of whom are nursing injuries picked up in the Women's Super League.
Midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight has also dropped out of the squad after rupturing her Achilles while training with Melbourne Victory, almost certainly putting an end to her Women's World Cup hopes.
Carpenter returns to the squad having eased her way back to competitive match minutes with Olympique Lyonnais in France over the past few months, almost a year after rupturing her ACL in the 2022 UEFA Women's Champions League final.
On Thursday morning, the 22-year-old started and played the full 90 minutes in Lyon's UWCL quarterfinal first-leg loss to Sam Kerr's Chelsea.
"I was very excited to get called back into the national team," she said.
"Being away from the national team for so long, it gives you that extra drive and extra hunger getting back in.
"Obviously it's a World Cup year, and that was a massive motivation for me through my injury — to keep thinking there's such a big goal at the end of this and something I really want to achieve.
"I knew I had the time to get back before the World Cup, hopefully, if everything went well. I had a lot of support through my injury.
"Definitely it was hard — I had some ups and downs — but the most important thing I kept thinking was, 'Let's go day by day.' I don't think I worked so hard in my life [as] what I did in my rehab.
"I feel stronger, faster, I feel better than before. I think it was great off-time to work on myself to be better. I feel fresh."
Similarly, McNamara has earned more game time with A-League Women finals contenders Melbourne City over the past two months after her second major knee injury last February.
The 20-year-old was one of Australia's stand-out players during the 2022 Women's Asian Cup alongside Sydney FC winger Cortnee Vine, whose regular starts for the national team and bullet goal against Spain in the most recent window have arguably cemented her Women's World Cup spot.
"We have all been delighted to see both Ellie and Holly come back to football following the incredible amount of hard work and professionalism they have shown in their recovery," Gustavsson said.
"In the minutes they have already played, they have both shown they have the qualities within their arsenal that can be beneficial to the team.
"Now, with the realities of our roster for this camp, we have the chance to welcome them back to the national team environment and see first-hand what they can produce at this international intensity."
Vine's club teammate, goalkeeper Jada Whyman, has also been called up for the first time since November last year after impressing in the A-League Women following her return from a finger injury.
However, Whyman is unlikely to see any game time ahead of Mackenzie Arnold, who was named Player Of The Tournament in February's Cup of Nations, as well as FC Rosengard shot-stopper Teagan Micah.
Fresh off her first A-League Women goal over the weekend, Western Sydney Wanderers captain Clare Hunt has also earned a recall after a whirlwind debut in February, coming on at half-time against Czechia before starting against both Spain and Jamaica.
Australia face Scotland on April 7 at 10:15pm AEST before taking on reigning European Champions England on April 12 at 4:45am AEST.
Matildas squad for April window
Name |
Club |
Caps |
|---|---|---|
Mackenzie Arnold |
West Ham |
32 |
Ellie Carpenter |
Olympique Lyonnais |
59 |
Alex Chidiac |
Racing Louisville |
25 |
Kyra Cooney-Cross |
Hammarby IF |
25 |
Larissa Crummer |
Brisbane Roar |
32 |
Caitlin Foord |
Arsenal |
108 |
Mary Fowler |
Manchester City |
34 |
Katrina Gorry |
Vittsjo GIK |
91 |
Charlotte Grant |
Vittsjo GIK |
16 |
Clare Hunt |
Western Sydney Wanderers |
0 |
Alanna Kennedy |
Manchester City |
108 |
Sam Kerr |
Chelsea |
119 |
Aivi Luik |
BK Hacken |
42 |
Holly McNamara |
Melbourne City |
3 |
Teagan Micah |
FC Rosengard |
14 |
Courtney Nevin |
Leicester City (loan) |
20 |
Clare Polkinghorne |
Vittsjo GIK |
154 |
Hayley Raso |
Manchester City |
68 |
Emily Van Egmond |
San Diego Wave |
127 |
Cortnee Vine |
Sydney FC |
14 |
Clare Wheeler |
Everton |
12 |
Jada Whyman |
Sydney FC |
0 |
Lydia Williams |
Brighton & Hove Albion |
102 |
Tameka Yallop |
SK Brann |
110 |
