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How a telltale sign that Sam Kerr wouldn’t play in Matildas’ World Cup opener surfaced hours before bombshell news dropped

Related Topics: Sam Kerr, Westfield Matildas

Sam Kerr was conspicuously absent by the Matildas' pre-match walk just hours before it was confirmed she would miss Australia's Women World Cup opener against the Republic of Ireland.

The Chelsea superstar was ruled out of the first two games of the tournament with a calf injury.

Kerr was filmed smiling as she got off the team bus and walked into the dressing room but was not named in the matchday squad to face Ireland at Stadium Australia on Thursday night.

The Matildas' skipper did not feature in a clip the team shared on social media of players walking through Sydney on Thursday afternoon.