Soccer Football - FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Australia Training - Jubilee Stadium, Sydney, Australia - August 15, 2023 Australia's Sam Kerr during training REUTERS/Carl Recine
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia captain Sam Kerr, who has been struggling with a calf injury, will make her first start of the Women's World Cup in the semi-final against England at Stadium Australia on Wednesday.
The striker, Australia's all-time top goalscorer, played about 20 minutes as a substitute in the last-16 win over Denmark and came on in the 55th minute of the quarter-final win over France, which was decided by a penalty shootout.
Attacking midfielder Emily van Egmond has dropped to the bench to make way for Kerr, while Clare Polkinghorne replaces Alanna Kennedy, who is ill, in the centre of Australia's defence.
Sarina Wiegman has kept to the same line-up that started England's quarter-final win over Colombia.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
