Australia suffered a setback Thursday with star players Hayley Raso and Steph Catley ruled out of their Women’s Asian Cup quarter-final against North Korea in Perth.
The hosts already faced a daunting prospect against a young and physical side ranked six places above them at nine in the world.
Arsenal defender Catley and Eintracht Frankfurt striker Raso are both dealing with concussion symptoms and coach Joe Montemurro said they would not play.
“They’re recovering well. They were very close, but they won’t be included in the squad against North Korea,” he told reporters ahead of Friday’s clash at the Perth Rectangular Stadium.
“We’ve got enough backup in our squad and we trust the players coming in to make a difference.
“We truly believe that if we play our game well we will be fine.”
Courtney Nevin is likely to take over from Catley with Amy Sayer a potential replacement for Raso.
Australia are bidding to lift the trophy for the first time since 2010.
Skipper Sam Kerr, the only survivor from the team that beat North Korea on penalties in the final, said they know what to expect from their opponents.
“They like to run a lot, they’re aggressive, they never give up,” said the Chelsea forward.
“Every time we’ve played them it’s been difficult. They’ve been aggressive on the front press. They’ve gone after us. And it’s been a tough game.
“And I think tomorrow, if we’re not ready for the battle, it will be a loss for us. But we have to be ready.”
The last time the teams met was in 2016 during qualification for the Rio Olympics when Australia won 2-1 with goals from Michelle Heyman and Katrina Gorry, both in the current squad.
mp/pst
