Kerr spearheads Australia's Women's World Cup squad

Australia's women's football team continued their World Cup preparations on Monday when the co-hosts named a provisional squad, including 10 players currently with English clubs.

The Matildas squad boasts Chelsea star striker Sam Kerr who has scored 63 goals in 120 appearances for Australia.

Kerr, 29, recently won the English Women's Super League title for the fourth straight season with Chelsea, who she joined in 2019.

She also scored the winning goal in last month's FA Cup final against Manchester United.

The experienced Arsenal pair of defender Steph Catley and forward Caitlin Foord were also named in the squad, having each chalked up more than 100 appearances for the Matildas.

Veteran forward Kyah Simon, 31, has been included despite having been out with a knee injury since October.

The 29-player provisional squad will be whittled down to 23 before the tournament, also hosted by New Zealand, starts next month.

The Matildas face France in a final warm-up game on July 14.

Coach Tony Gustavsson said the team, which faces Ireland in Sydney to kick off the tournament on July 20, was entering its final stages of preparation with a camp planned on the Gold Coast.

Australia squad: Mackenzie Arnold (West Ham United/ENG), Ellie Carpenter (Olympique Lyon/FRA), Steph Catley (Arsenal/ENG), Alex Chidiac (Racing Louisville/USA), Kyra Cooney-Cross (Hammarby/SWE), Larissa Crummer (SK Brann/NOR), Caitlin Foord (Arsenal/ENG), Mary Fowler (Manchester City/ENG), Emily Gielnik (Unattached), Katrina Gorry, Charlotte Grant (both Vittsjo GIK/SWE), Clare Hunt (Western Sydney Wanderers), Alanna Kennedy (Manchester City/ENG), Sam Kerr (Chelsea/ENG), Chloe Logarzo (Western United FC), Aivi Luik (BK Hacken/SWE), Teagan Micah (FC Rosengard/SWE), Courtney Nevin (Leicester City/ENG), Clare Polkinghorne (Vittsjo GIK/SWE), Hayley Raso (unattached), Amy Sayer (Stanford University/USA), Remy Siemsen (Leicester City/ENG), Kyah Simon (unattached), Emily van Egmond (San Diego Wave/USA), Cortnee Vine (Sydney FC), Clare Wheeler (Everton/ENG), Jada Whyman (Sydney FC), Lydia Williams (Brighton & Hove Albion/ENG), Tameka Yallop (SK Brann/NOR).