“After Tameka Yallop suffered a knee injury in Australia’s 1-0 victory against France, Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson has taken action to ease concerns about the veteran player’s readiness for the Women’s World Cup.
Yallop, who has endured a miserable year of injuries, entered the game on Friday in the 62nd minute for the first time since breaking her ankle in April.
The 32-year-old hyperextended her left knee in the 74th minute and was replaced nine minutes later, six days before Australia’s match against Ireland.
For their final few days of practise before Thursday night’s game, the Matildas, including Yallop, landed in Brisbane on Saturday. However, they did not give any updates on her condition.
“We had a break so when she was on the park she just wanted to push through and I said, ‘bigger picture Meeks, bigger picture’ and she said, ‘OK, take me off then’,” Gustavsson told reporters in the post-match press conference on Friday.
“I had to remind her what this was all about since she wanted to stay. It involves a larger context.
She probably would have continued playing if this had been a World Cup match. We saved some recuperation time in that and rehab time by pulling her off, hopefully.
“I’m hoping it’s just a knock and nothing is torn or changed, but I can’t say yet.”
When the camera switched to Captain Sam Kerr in the 62nd minute, she appeared to be wearing an icepack on her hamstring but encouraged the crowd to calm down.
Gustavsson stated, “She is one of them that we really wanted to manage minutes on as well.
The guys that arrived from England, for example, haven’t played a game in a long time, so we pushed them hard to be physically prepared.
“In a game played behind closed doors a week ago, we played 90 minutes for the players who required 90 minutes, and then we knew they would play perhaps 60 (minutes) today to ensure they had the preservation strategy to succeed against Ireland – it’s all about Ireland.
“We knew it was hazardous to do that with tonight’s game, but we trust the depth of the roster to do it.
Sam was an intended sub. We asked her if she was going to withdraw at halftime, but she said that another 10 to 15 would be good for her physically for the Ireland game.
Gustavsson responded, “I’ll leave that to the medical team,” when asked if Kerr was already treating a hamstring problem.
In her first international match since September, defender Alanna Kennedy left the pitch in the 79th minute, ostensibly due to a cramp.
Gustavsson expressed his hope for her well-being.
She “had a little bit of a niggle, but I hope it’s just a niggle”
