City coach calms injury concerns for Matildas star ahead of international squad announcement

McNamara’s goal in the second half came from the penalty spot—a kick she earned herself—which extended City’s lead to 3-0. Shortly after, she was substituted following a collision with Blue Whale forward Maho Tanaka in the midfield.

The 22-year-old, who has endured three anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, tried to continue after the incident but soon went to ground, clutching her right knee.

However, after managing to rise and reach the bench unaided, City’s head coach Matricciani confirmed that his key winger was “fine” and that her substitution was part of the pre-arranged plan.

“She was okay,” Matricciani stated after the match. “It was just a collision. We had intended to take her off around the 60-minute mark anyway.

“Once we won the penalty and felt in good control of the game, we wanted to rest her for Wednesday’s match. She scored the penalty and the goal, so she’s happy, and now we look to recover.”

Following her recovery from her third ACL injury, McNamara made her anticipated return to the CommBank Matildas in February, coming on as a substitute against Japan at the SheBelieves Cup—marking her first international appearance in 1,119 days.

Her performances for City since returning from the SheBelieves Cup have been exceptional, and with Matildas interim head coach Tom Sermanni set to announce his squad for an upcoming two-game friendly series against South Korea, McNamara will be keen to secure her place in the team and continue her journey back to international football.

The victory in the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals against Blue Whale marks the start of a crucial week for both McNamara and City. On Wednesday, the club’s Ninja A-League campaign continues with a midweek clash against Brisbane Roar. Following that, the league leaders, who are favourites for the Premiership, will travel to New Zealand for a match against Wellington Phoenix before the international break in April.

Yet after their 3-0 win over Blue Whale, Matricciani was keen to highlight that while their attention would soon shift to the demanding fixtures ahead, the team would take a moment on Sunday evening to acknowledge the importance of their achievement in Asian football, having secured their spot in the semi-finals.

“We are extremely proud,” Matricciani remarked.

“We understood that today would be a tough match. We needed absolute focus and to execute the game plan in a professional manner. I felt the girls performed exceptionally well. I’m very pleased to move on to the next stage and reach the semi-finals.”