Sam Kerr will be available for Australia vs. Canada: World Cup digest

Just Women’s Sports is here with your daily World Cup Digest, breaking down all of the biggest storylines from each day of action in Australia and New Zealand.

Today’s top World Cup news: Sam Kerr will be available for Australia vs. Canada

Australian star striker Sam Kerr is fit to play in the team’s next World Cup game, and said on Saturday that she is “feeling good.” Kerr had been ruled out of the co-host’s first two group matches with a calf injury.

“I’m definitely going to be available,” Kerr said. “But how we decide to use that is not to be given to the opposition is the main thing.”

Coach Tony Gustavsson painted a bit of a more well-rounded picture, noting that the Chelsea forward would do “anything she can” to play, but admittedly the time frame is “tight.” Still, Kerr says she feels “as good as I can be,” and practiced on Saturday. 

“I would love to tell you guys everything, but you know yourself being in sport a long time, that’s a massive thing that the opposition wants to know, and like Tony (Gustavsson) said yesterday, it’s going to go down to the wire.”

Monday’s match against Canada is a do-or-die situation for Australia after they lost to Nigeria on Thursday. Australia must beat Canada in order to advance to the knockout stages. 

Today’s top highlight: Wendie Renard’s late header propels France past Brazil

You're going to want the sound up on this one 🔊🆙

Listen in to the French call of Wendie Renard's game-winning goal for France ⬇️

(via: France TV) pic.twitter.com/R24CosVL8p

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 29, 2023

Wendie Renard’s status for France’s game against Brazil was in doubt after she suffered a calf injury in training. On Friday, France coach Herve Renard stressed that the team needed Renard, but that they weren’t sure about her status on the eve of the match.

“Our hope is that everything goes well because we need her,” France coach Herve Renard said Friday night. “We are not sure tonight 100%. Our trainings are quite intense and we will have to see how things happen once we face the match.”

But Renard was ready to go on Saturday, starting and playing in the full 90 minutes. She proved instrumental for France as a result, scoring a late header in the 83rd minute to bring Les Bleues to victory.

France’s manager, Herve Renard, had the best reaction to Wendie Renard's winning goal 😅 pic.twitter.com/wyvdqwXbdU

— GOAL (@goal) July 29, 2023

Today’s results:

• Sweden 5, Italy 0
• France 2, Brazil 1
• Panama v Jamaica, 8:30 a.m.

Other top news to know:

• Colombia striker Linda Caicedo is reportedly healthy after collapsing in training two days ago, coach Nelson Abadia said on Saturday. He added that the incident was partly due to the pressure of playing in her first senior Women’s World Cup. “It’s just an incident, she was tired,” Abadia said. “She was a bit stressed as well, because she was playing in her first World Cup … [which] has great relevance. And she’s 18 years of age. She’s a girl as far as football goes. But she has a great capacity and great character to assimilate all of this. That is why she’s one of the players in the world today who is a rising star. And it was just an episode, it’s finished, it’s over. We’re quite happy about this. No problem.”
• England midfielder Keira Walsh has avoided an ACL tear, the Football Association confirmed on Saturday. Walsh injured her right knee in England’s 1-0 win over Denmark and had to be stretchered off before later being seen on the bench with a knee brace and crutches. She has been ruled out of the team’s match against China, and her status is in doubt for the remainder of the World Cup.