This upcoming camp will see the return of two familiar faces, with the team welcoming back defender Ellie Carpenter and forward Holly McNamara from long-term injuries sustained in 2022.
The duo returned to club football recently with Carpenter recording full-match performances for Olympique Lyon, making her return for the French side in early February. While McNamara has been notching up minutes with Melbourne City, making her much-anticipated return following rehab from her second ACL injury at just 20.
Head coach Tony Gustavsson talked about the inclusion of the two young players, explaining how happy he is to see them back playing.
“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 stated.
“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 ability to welcome them back to the national team environment and see first-hand what they can produce at this international intensity,” he concluded.
McNamara suffered her ACL injury during the Liberty A-League Women’s match between Melbourne City and Sydney FC in February 2022, just a month after making her senior debut for Australia at the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
The forward’s short career has been plagued with injuries, suffering two ACL injuries and a stress fracture to her foot, watching on as her young teammates signed their first professional contracts and made appearances for Australia at the youth level.
McNamara made three appearances at the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, making her starting debut against Thailand in Australia’s final group-stage game.
Meanwhile, Ellie Carpenter makes her first appearance in the Australian squad since April 2022, returning from an ACL injury sustained in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final in May.
The defender made her return for Olympique Lyon on the 4th of February, just 295 days after suffering the injury. Since then, the defender has been regularly playing ninety minutes for her club, across the D1, Coupe de France and making her return to the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Carpenter and McNamara have been named in Tony Gustavsson’s 24-player squad for the April FIFA International Window which will see Australia take on Scotland and England in London.
COMMBANK MATILDAS MATCH SCHEDULE | APRIL 2023
CommBank Matildas v Scotland
Date: Fri, 7 April 2023
Venue: Cherry Red Records Stadium, London
Kick-Off: 1.15 pm (local) / 10.15 pm (AEST)
Broadcast: Network 10 and Paramount+
Tickets are available from here
England v CommBank Matildas
Date: Tues, 11 April 2023 (local) / Wed, 12 April (AEST)
Venue: Brentford Community Stadium, London
Kick-Off: 7:45 pm (local) / 4:45 am (AEST)
Broadcast: Network 10 and Paramount+