Kerr captaincy question not the focus for Australia interim boss Sermanni
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MELBOURNE - Australia caretaker coach Tom Sermanni has no idea whether striker Sam Kerr will resume the captaincy following her court case and is also in the dark about his own future as the Matildas prepare for the SheBelieves Cup in the United States.
Australia will compete in the four-team tournament also featuring the hosts, Japan and Colombia with plenty of questions hanging over the set-up.
Chelsea forward Kerr was found not guilty of racially abusing a police officer but former players and pundits have still called for her to be replaced as captain due to the negative publicity generated by the case.
Sermanni, meanwhile, is uncertain he will even be around to coach Kerr when she returns to the squad after more than a year on the sidelines recovering from knee surgery.
Football Australia has been looking for a full-time replacement for Sermanni since he took the role on an interim basis five months ago.
It has left the Scot and the World Cup semi-finalists in an awkward position just over a year out from Australia hosting the Women's Asian Cup.
Sermanni told reporters in Houston he had been in touch with Kerr to check on her wellbeing since the not-guilty verdict but declined to offer an opinion on the captaincy.
"Whatever decision gets made, who makes it and who is involved, I really don't know at the moment because it’s really completely and utterly not part of our focus," he said ahead of Australia's opener against Japan later on Thursday.
"At this minute in time Sam is injured. She has been injured for 13 months and the team is just getting on with its normal business.
"So it’s not part of the conversation, when it does become part of the conversation, then I’ll know more but at the moment it is irrelevant."
Following the SheBelieves Cup, Australia are scheduled for a pair of friendlies on home soil against South Korea in early-April.
Sermanni, who replaced Swede Tony Gustavsson, said he may not be in charge for them.
"I just come in and do the job and I'll come in and do it for as long as I'm required to do it," the 70-year-old said.
"If it finishes at the end of this week, then it finishes. If not, I'll continue to do it.
"I've reached that age where I'm quite happy to stroll into retirement and exit stage left."
The squad has also been overshadowed by reports of a pay dispute between the players and Football Australia. Australian media reported the issue centred around payments for players at team camps, including the SheBelieves Cup.
FA has said it is working to resolve the matter.
Sermanni said he was unclear of the details but had not noticed any impact on his playing group. REUTERS
