Matildas Squad Announced for Asian Cup: Fowler Return Eyed, Grant Misses Out
The Australian national women’s football team, the Matildas, have unveiled their 26-player squad for the upcoming Asian Cup, with coach Joe Montemurro expressing optimism about the potential return of star forward Mary Fowler. Fowler, a Manchester City attacker, has been dealing with a recent setback after an extended period sidelined with an ACL tear. Her absence from the last two Women’s Super League fixtures has been characterised by Montemurro as strategic “load management,” aimed at ensuring her readiness for the continental tournament kicking off on Sunday week.
Fowler’s inclusion comes despite a challenging year for the 23-year-old. She had only recently made her comeback for Manchester City with a brief 15-minute cameo against Chelsea on February 1st, marking her first appearance since April 2024 after nearly a year out with the knee injury. Following that brief return, she sat out the subsequent two club matches.
Manchester City manager Andree Jeglertz provided further context, stating that Fowler had “got a knock in training last week but is back again this week and available” for their recent home fixture against Tottenham. This minor issue had initially raised questions about her fitness for the Asian Cup.
However, Montemurro appeared unconcerned. “I think it was an organised sort of load management, just sort of giving her the minutes that they believe is right for now,” he told reporters at the squad announcement. “And all the reports I’m getting out of City is that we’re preparing her for the Asian Cup. She’s been training fully, and all we’re going to do is assess each game and see which is the best line-up to tackle each game. Mary could feature from the start. Mary could come in the last 20 minutes. We’ll just assess each game as it goes.”
Montemurro had previously indicated a willingness to take a punt on a player of Fowler’s calibre, even if she hadn’t accumulated the desired match fitness. He highlighted her maturity throughout her recovery. “Her mindset’s been really mature – really, really focused on the importance of where she’s at in her career, but more importantly how she now wants to see this next phase of her career,” he explained. “And she’s been brilliant. She’s done everything in a professional manner, in a mature manner. Even to say to the City staff, ‘Look, I just want a little bit more time, I just want to get it right’ I think shows a lot of maturity. So she’s coming in really excited. She was really happy when I called her to announce that she was in the squad, and I’m really excited to be working with her.”
Fowler will join a strong contingent of established Matildas in camp, including captain Sam Kerr and vice-captains Steph Catley and Ellie Carpenter, as they prepare in Perth for their opening match against the Philippines on March 1st.
Squad Dynamics and Notable Absences
The squad also sees the return of midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross, who recently played her first minutes for Arsenal after a period of absence from the club to be with her severely ill mother in Australia.
Montemurro has opted for a blend of experience and fresh talent, with eight players set to make their Asian Cup debuts. These newcomers include Wini Heatley, Jamilla Rankin, Amy Sayer, Charlize Rule, and Kahli Johnson. In the goalkeeping department, Jada Whyman has secured the third spot, ahead of Chloe Lincoln, and will join first-choice keepers Mackenzie Arnold and Teagan Micah.
However, the squad announcement also marks another significant disappointment for fullback Amy Grant. After a string of unlucky breaks that have seen her on the fringes of major tournaments for years – including just two minutes of game time at the 2023 World Cup and missing out on Olympic selection – Grant was seemingly poised for a more prominent role. Unfortunately, she has not played for Tottenham since sustaining a knee injury in November. Despite her club coach Martin Ho suggesting she was “close” to returning, Montemurro has decided against including her in the squad.
“We had a cut-off time to get the squad into the AFC and FIFA, so the biggest thing for me was to make sure that the nature of the tournament – it being such a short tournament and quick turnarounds – is that we had players who were consistently playing and ready to play,” Montemurro stated. “We weren’t in a position to bring players in that were sort of coming back from injury or coming back from situations where we had to modify them through the camp. We just didn’t have that opportunity. But the beauty of it, and the biggest thing for me, was to find good balance in the squad [so] that each scenario is adhered to. Meaning that if we get a situation where we lose a player early or go a goal down, we’ve got the opportunity to make those impacts.”
Another notable omission is winger Cortnee Vine, who gained prominence for scoring a crucial penalty kick. Vine has recently spoken openly about the significant impact severe anxiety had on her football career and personal life, leading to an extended break from the national team. She had returned to the squad in October last year for friendlies against Wales and England, and Montemurro had previously suggested she was in contention for the Asian Cup. However, the coach appears confident in his wide-attacking options, which are spearheaded by experienced players like Hayley Raso and Caitlin Foord.
