Matildas captain Sam Kerr has opened up about her "icky" recent run on the injury front, revealing she actually suffered two calf strains during Australia's World Cup campaign.
Kerr missed all of the Women's World Cup group stage after tearing her left calf on the eve of the tournament.
The 30-year-old returned in the round-of-16 clash against Denmark, and also featured in the quarter-final win over France, the semi-final loss to England, and the third-placed play-off against Sweden.
Kerr copped a knee to her right calf in the 2-0 loss to Sweden.
The star striker bravely played out the game, and it wasn't until she rejoined her Women's Super League team Chelsea a few weeks later that the extent of the injury was discovered.
Kerr has been on limited minutes ever since, and it's set to be the case again on Sunday when the Matildas take on the Philippines in a crunch Olympic qualifier at Perth's Optus Stadium.
"It's been difficult to be honest," Kerr said of her recent injury battles.
"I re-did my calf in the Sweden game - well not re-did it, I did the other one.
"So I was rehabbing that and then came back and I've just had a bit of a bit of a icky run the last two months.
"But I'm getting back to full fitness, enjoying being back on the park.
"I'm sick of being with the physios, so I'm back to being on the park every day training, playing."
When asked what went through her mind when she suffered the injury to her other calf against Sweden, Kerr replied: "Just keep playing."
"I didn't care at that point. I just kept running. I just kept playing until the last minute.
"I didn't even really know until I got back to Chelsea two weeks later.
"I went on holiday (after the World Cup). I knew it was sore, but I didn't think it was that sore."
Kerr came on in the 65th minute against Iran on Thursday night, with her 78th-minute tap-in helping Australia secure a 2-0 win.
It was Kerr's first international match in Perth since 2018, and she relished getting on the scoresheet in her hometown.
The Philippines opened the group stage with a 4-1 win over Taiwan, thrusting them to the top of the table.
Only the group winner is guaranteed to progress to the next stage of qualifying in February, meaning the Matildas can't afford to slip up against the world No.44 Philippines at a sold-out Optus Stadium on Sunday.
"It was always the big one for us this tournament," Kerr said of the match against their fellow World Cup participants.
"I think you see with how it's kind of shaped out with the crowd and everything - everyone kind of knows it's the biggest one.
"But we're focused for all of the games.
"Last game a few girls got a chance to play and show what they can do. So there's lots of competition for spots and everyone's really ready for tomorrow.
"We know this is the big one but we're not trying to overdo it.
"We're just trying to focus on ourselves and play some good football and get a result."
Australia fielded a second-string starting XI against Iran, but the big guns such as Kerr, Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler, Hayley Raso, Steph Catley and Mackenzie Arnold could be wheeled out from the outset against the Philippines.
