But when asked if Bott would play against Norway, Klimkova couldn’t guarantee it, saying, “We are doing everything for her to be prepared.”
It’s a concern, especially as the Ferns face three gruelling matches in the space of 11 days, with Norway followed by the Philippines (July 25) and Switzerland (July 30).
The 27-year-old Bott has taken her game to new levels since the last World Cup and is one of only two players in the Ferns squad (along with Ria Percival) playing in the English Women’s Super League, one of the strongest competitions in the world.
She brings pace and presence on the right flank and would be vital against the attacking threats that Norway possess.
Co-captain Ali Riley – who is naturally right footed despite playing on the left side for most of her career – would be the likely replacement. She trained in that position on Sunday, with Michaela Foster on the left.
Rebekah Stott has also been rested over the last few days – including the Italy game – though the central defender is less of a concern, as she nurses a head cold.
Overall, Klimkova described the mood as “very focused”, ahead of the biggest match in Ferns history.
“There are a lot of questions, a lot of discussions about how we can still improve because we still have a few days to go,” said Klimkova. “The vibes are very positive and that’s good to see because if you play with that kind of enjoyment that brings energy on the field. That’s what we want. We want to play with energy, we want to play with enjoyment, we want to compete and we want to inspire.”
Klimkova said the Italy shakedown had been a productive and physically demanding encounter, which showed the benefits of their extended pre-tournament training camp.
“Having those nine weeks in our legs I could see that our performance in second half, especially from the physical point of view, didn’t drop,” said Klimkova. “And in the last 20 minutes, we were actually on the front foot and pushing for that goal.”
Facing the European side – ranked 16th in the world by Fifa - had been ideal preparation for what is coming on Thursday.
“It was exactly what we wanted,” said Klimkova.
The only disappointment was their connections and passing in the final third, which remains a work on ahead of the Norway clash.
“That is still something that we are missing,” said Klimkova.
On the evidence of Sunday’s training, Klimkova will stick with the same starting XI that was used against Vietnam, assuming that Bott and Stott are judged fit.
Hannah Wilkinson remains the preferred option up top, while the midfield trio of Percival, Malia Steinmetz and Betsy Hassett seems locked in. Katie Bowen also has the edge on Claudia Bunge, with Klimkova indicating that her greater experience was key.
