While playing for Perth Glory, Kerr collapsed to the floor during a round five W-League game against Brisbane Roar.

It ruled the 22-year-old out of the rest of the W-League season as well as the AFC Olympic Qualifiers. What was meant to be a three-month layoff after rupturing a ligament in her foot ended up being a frustrating seven months out of the game.

Since returning to football via US National Women’s Soccer League Team Sky Blue FC in mid-June, Kerr says she is raring to go ahead of the Matildas opening match.

“I’m fully fit and I’m ready to go,” she said. “My foot feels good, my body feels fresh, I feel fit so whenever I’m called upon I will be ready

“It’s awesome to be at my first Olympics, it’s great for me personally to be in the team again after being out injured for so long. I’m super excited to be here and hopefully I can get some game time but that’s up to Staj (Alen Stajcic Matildas coach).”

Kerr also believes that securing three points from their opening game against 10th ranked Canada is an important way to start off their Olympic campaign.

“Every game for us is a must win,” she said. “You can’t really take any chances on the other results, so we need to win every game that we can and take every opportunity that is in our control. Canada is a must win, so is Germany and so is Zimbabwe.”

The Matildas outstanding performance in qualifying for the Olympics for the first time since Beijing 2008 means the team is regarded a strong medal chance in Rio. Even Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull predicted the Australian women would be playing for gold.

Kerr says that with those kind of expectations the team would feel unsatisfied leaving Brazil without a medal.

“Without people naming us as one of the favourites we want to win gold,” she said. “We would be disappointed if we didn’t win gold and we would be disappointed if we didn’t medal.

“Of course it’s a compliment to be named as a favourite after we’ve been named as a dark horse but we don’t really look too much into those sorts of things.”

Con Stamocostas is an Australian football writer. Click here to see more of his work and check out the latest episode of his A-League Snobcast with co-host Rob Toddler.