It has been confirmed that Matildas star Mary Fowler will sit out Australia's games against Germany and Haiti this weekend.
In a statement from Football Australia, discussions between Fowler, Manchester City and the Matildas will see Fowler sit out due to personal reasons.
Midfielder Leah Davidson is set to temporarily take her place on the field, Davidson has played intermittently for the Matildas since her debut in late 2024. At the moment she plays as a midfielder for Charlton Athletic in the Women's Super League.
Currently, Fowler is at the start of her fifth season with Manchester City in the Women's Super League, where she's just made her 100th appearance for the club.
Australia Matildas versus Mexico at Toyota Fieldat Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas on April 9, 2024.
(Photo by Rance Ristau/Football Australia)
The upcoming matches are part of an international friendlies tournament. The Matildas will face Germany in Karlsruhe on October 9 (October 10, 5:30am AEDT) and Haiti in the Paris region on October 13 (October 14, 6am AEDT).
These games are being streamed exclusively in Australia on Paramount+.
The Matildas squad are currently preparing for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil, where they secured their place earlier this year following their quarter-final win in the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup. The squad will continue to be captained by forward Sam Kerr.
Fans are speculating that the Matildas forward may be considering returning home to Australia to support her long-term partner star Penrith Panthers player Nathan Cleary who suffered unprecedented injuries in an NRL preliminary final against the Newcastle Knights and has since undergone surgery.
Neither Football Australia or Manchester City have commented on these rumours, but Fowler isn't expected in an appearance for the English club for another two weeks.
