Sam Kerr ruled out of Australia's first two World Cup matches

Australia have been dealt a huge blow after confirming Sam Kerr will miss at least the first two matches of their 2023 Women's World Cup campaign.

The Matildas are serving as tournament co-hosts with New Zealand, who kicked off the tournament on Thursday with a surprise 1-0 win against Norway.

Next in action are Australia, who will take on the Republic of Ireland in Sydney. However, they will be without star player Kerr, who has sustained a calf problem and may not return until the end of the group stage.

A statement from the Australian FA read: "Sam Kerr is unavailable tonight after she picked up a calf injury at training on MD-1. Sam will be unavailable for the next two matches with the Matildas Medical Team to re-assess her following our second group stage match."

Kerr is Australia's all-time record scorer and has been the face of their World Cup campaign leading up to the tournament on home soil.

She headed back to her homeland off the back of another stellar season for Chelsea, helping them win a fourth-successive WSL title and scooping the FWA Footballer of the Year award for a second year running.

Kerr will sit out next Thursday's match against Nigeria before being reassessed and could make her return on matchday three against Canada.

If Australia advance to the last 16 as group winners as expected, they will take on the runners-up of Group C, which features Spain, Japan, Costa Rice and Zambia.

LISTEN NOW

Former Italy international Arianna Criscione, Dulwich Hamlet's Brittany Saylor and Football for Future founder Elliot Arthur-Worsop join Katie Cross to have football's climate conversation about the Women's World Cup and tournament football's carbon footprint. Pledgeball's Heather Ashworth also gives an update on Pledgeball's new Women's World Cup initiative.

If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!