"We embrace it, for sure," Kerr said. "This is what we wanted forever and we're so lucky that the nation's got behind us and is invested in the team. We're really proud of it, to be honest - we've done a lot of hard work. It's really cool to be a part of." It's also a sign that when it comes to superstars, they don't get much bigger than Kerr. There was barely a media outlet not represented at Sam Kerr's press conference on Wednesday. Credit:AAP Only two reporters turned up for Matildas teammate Emily Gielnik's press call on Tuesday. At Kerr's media conference on Wednesday morning, there was barely an outlet not represented, all of them keen to hear from the 26-year-old for the first time since she landed back in the country. Kerr said her quad injury traces back to her first week of training at new club Chelsea, where she has one goal in three appearances in the FA Women's Premier League.

While she appears to be touch-and-go for Friday's opener against Taiwan at Campbelltown Stadium, another masterstroke from new Football Federation Australia chief executive James Johnson has boosted Kerr's chances of featuring in the two games after that. Loading Johnson and FFA have convinced FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation, the Chinese Football Association and foreign and domestic clubs to push back the Matildas' showdown against China by 24 hours. That match, which is likely to be the most important of the tournament for the Matildas, will now be played next Thursday night at Bankwest Stadium at Parramatta. It means the team now has two full days to recover after Monday's meeting with Thailand at Campbelltown Stadium, making it far more likely for Kerr to play in both of those games if she does not feature against Taiwan.

"Obviously, a little injury like that is being blown out of proportion," Kerr said. "I've been training all week and doing everything, it's just that last little bit, and three games in however many days is dangerous for anyone carrying a little injury. It's just about managing it." The Chinese team, meanwhile, is expected to land in Sydney early on Thursday. They have been unable to leave the Westin Hotel in Brisbane since their arrival last week but their period of quarantine - having trained last month in the city where the coronavirus outbreak first originated - was due to expire at midnight on Wednesday. "We've been assured everything has been done to keep our safety first and foremost. We feel fine," said Kerr when asked if she felt comfortable sharing the field with China. "We feel bad for the Chinese national team with everything they've had to deal with and what they're leaving home in their country - I know that would be tough for us. "We're focused on ourselves and to be honest, we haven't even thought about the China game - we've got two games before that. We'll cross that bridge when we get there."