Injured Matildas captain Sam Kerr insists her Women's World Cup is not over as her teammates hope the superstar striker returns to the field in the tournament's later stages.
Kerr was a shock scratching from Australia's opening 1-0 win over Ireland on Thursday, with a calf injury suffered at training the previous day that will also rule her out of next Thursday's clash with Nigeria in Brisbane.
Australia's final, and toughest-looking, Group B game against Olympic champions Canada at Melbourne's AAMI Park comes just four days later.
The tight turnaround, and the notoriously unpredictable and slow-healing nature of calf injuries, has the nation holding its collective breath.
The fear is the injury could scupper Kerr's campaign altogether.
On arrival in Brisbane on Friday, Kerr was asked whether her World Cup was over.
“Definitely not,” she told Channel 10.
Kerr was then asked whether she would be seen at the Canada game.
"Of course, I’ll be there,” she said.
Whether that will be in a playing capacity remains unclear.
If Australia make the round of 16, they would have a break until August 7, a far more favourable timeline than featuring in the final group match - giving Kerr more than two-and-a-half weeks to recover.
Potentially helping matters is that Nigeria and Canada drew 0-0 on Friday, putting Australia clear on top of Group B with three points.
Victory over Nigeria without Kerr next Thursday would seal a knockout spot before playing Canada, potentially allowing the skipper to delay her return to the round of 16.
Teammate Ellie Carpenter's comments on Friday indicated that timeline, or perhaps an even later return, was the more likely.
"It was heartbreaking for Sam, and I guess for us also," Carpenter said in a Football Australia video interview.
"But we know that she was with us throughout the whole 90 minutes and we played for her, won for her, and we know that she'll be back with us soon.
"We're all there for her like she's always there for us during (tough) times.
"This is the most important time. We'll all rally around her and we know that she'll get herself right to come help us in the later stages."
The prospect of the Matildas being without Kerr all tournament, which would place a hefty burden on Caitlin Foord and Mary Fowler in attack, is not only coach Tony Gustavsson's worst nightmare.
It would also be a marketing disaster for FIFA, with the 29-year-old superstar the face of the World Cup.
Vice-captain Steph Catley stepped up on Thursday to take the armband and fill the leadership void, including scoring the match-winning penalty - normally Kerr's role.
"Sam's still around - she's still got her effect on the team," Catley said.
"She's in every meeting. She's in there at halftime talking to everyone, she's doing the pre-game talk and she's still with us.
"We'll do everything we can to get as far as we can and then hopefully we see Sam Kerr later on."
