Mary Fowler is confident she can build a winning strike partnership with Caitlin Foord as the Matildas duo attempt to fill the void left by injured skipper Sam Kerr.

The calf injury that has ruled Kerr out of the start of Australia’s Women’s World Cup campaign has overshadowed the scrappy opening 1-0 win over Ireland.

It has also pushed Fowler into a starting role in attack alongside Foord, a partnership that could be relied upon for some time yet.

On arrival in Brisbane on Friday, Kerr was asked whether her World Cup was over.

“Definitely not,” she told Network Ten.

But the superstar striker will miss at least Australia’s next game against Nigeria in Brisbane on July 27, and there must be be serious doubts over her involvement against Canada in Melbourne four days later.

The Matildas are enjoying a full rest day on Saturday ahead of starting preparations for the Nigeria clash, where Australia can seal progression to the round of 16 with a win.

Foord and Fowler both had dynamic moments against a deep-lying, packed Ireland defence on Thursday night, as did wingers Hayley Raso and Cortnee Vine.

‘One match at a time’

“I feel ready and everyone else feels ready,” Fowler told reporters after the Ireland match.

“So whoever’s out there, you know what you need to do when you get out there – you just play.

“Every team is going to be a bit different, every opponent.

“But we take it one match at a time and go into training and watch this game and see what we can do better.”

An intelligent, technical attacker who plays beyond her years, 20-year-old Fowler is confident she can make the partnership with Foord work.

“Cait’s an amazing player. So she makes it easy to play with,” Fowler said.

“But yeah, I think with time you just get more and more used to each other.

“But when someone’s got a football brain, it’s easy to work with.”

Mutual respect

The feeling is mutual. Ahead of the tournament, Foord had praised Fowler’s maturity and ability to turn a game.

“I don’t think any of us see her as a 20-year-old,” she told AAP.

“She’s very mature and even as a player I think she has matured so much and she’s not seen as a kid on the team.

“She’s seen as one of the important players and someone that can change the game.

“We’ve tried to instil that in her as well and I think she has that self-belief to be able to do that.”

Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum isn’t taking Australia’s Kerr-free attack lightly.

“I watched their performance against Ireland; they’re dangerous with so many different weapons,” he said.

“We can’t go into it thinking the game is already won because they don’t have a star player. Our players understand that.”

-AAP