The Matildas haven't planned well enough for the future, says interim coach Tom Sermanni as he prepares to field a squad missing plenty of Australia's biggest stars against Taiwan.
After a strong team suffered two losses to Brazil in Queensland, an effectively second-string line-up will take on Taiwan at AAMI Park on Wednesday night, then GMHBA Stadium on Saturday night.
Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Ellie Carpenter, Hayley Raso, Alanna Kennedy, Teagan Micah, Courtney Nevin and Jamilla Rankin all left after Sunday's game against Brazil.
Tottenham pair Clare Hunt and Charli Grant and FC Twente's Daniela Galic will depart on Thursday and skip the final game.
The Matildas are looking to respond to back-to-back losses to Brazil, who defeated them 3-1 in Brisbane then 2-1 on the Gold Coast.
It means opportunities will come up for A-League Women stars and fringe Matildas like Emily Gielnik, Chloe Logarzo and Alex Chidiac, along with youngsters like Galic, Winonah Heatley, Sharn Freier and recent debutant Natasha Prior.
Predecessor Tony Gustavsson debuted 23 players across his tenure - but only Cooney-Cross, Hunt, Grant, Micah, Clare Wheeler and Cortnee Vine became regulars.
The Swede largely maintained a consistent starting line-up of experienced players in major tournaments.
Experienced mentor Sermanni was quick to point out the downside of a stable squad as Australia builds towards hosting the 2026 Asian Cup.
"The Matildas have had a very consistent squad for four years and what's happened with that is it hasn't allowed opportunities for other players," Sermanni said on Tuesday.
"And one of the key things as a national team coach is you've got to play for the present but plan for the future. And I think, in all fairness, I don't think we've planned for the future well enough.
"So part of the task for me and whoever comes in on a permanent basis, has to be that we're doing a little bit of balance of both.
"That encompasses looking at other players (while) trying to balance everything else, getting results, good performances, all those type of things.
"But we do need to look at expanding the competition within what I would call the Matildas program."
Sermanni promised to field a "balance" of experienced campaigners and fresher faces.
"One of my aims this week is to give opportunities to as many players that I can do," he said.
"But I don't want to make any guarantees about that, because a football match goes in many different ways, and you're never quite sure what's going to happen."
As interim coach, Sermanni can only control so much.
But he hoped his permanent replacement - there is no timeline on that appointment as yet - would continue to balance chasing results with developing a fresh crop of players.
"Hopefully there's continuity. I think that's important," he said.
"When I step away, the coach that comes in, he or she will hopefully rely on the staff that is here, as well as perhaps bringing in their own staff.
"But I think that part of the continuity is important for the program.
"If you look at the overall picture, I think what's very important in a job like the Matildas job is that the head coach comes in and is not just simply a head coach of one team, but that they're the head coach of the Matildas program.
"That encompasses a lot of other roles, apart from just doing the national team. Hopefully, whoever that person is, comes in and will, or should certainly, rely on the expertise that's already here."
