Football: Football Ferns coach hopeful Covid-19 challenges don't rule out Australasian players for February tournament

The Football Ferns will return to action in February. Photo / Photosport

Football Ferns' coach Jitka Klimkova is hopeful of using Australasian-based players for three international fixtures next month, but admits the ongoing Covid-19 uncertainty means it is a complicated scenario.

On Wednesday, New Zealand Football confirmed the Ferns would be part of a four-nation invitational tournament in February, hosted by the United States and also including Iceland and the Czech Republic.

It's the biggest assignment so far in Klimkova's short tenure, but it's not yet known if she will be forced to select a squad solely from the northern hemisphere, which was the scenario for the games in Canada last year.

The first match against Iceland is scheduled for 18 February, followed by a clash against the United States three days later, before the final match (Czech Republic) on 24 February.

That timeframe means that any players selected from this country would need to go through MIQ upon return, with home isolation to international arrivals currently not available until the end of February.

Australian states have differing requirements, but currently New South Wales and Victoria don't have an isolation period for fully vaccinated travellers who return a negative PCR test upon arrival.

"Every day can be different, said Klimkova. "That's what I'm learning in this time. So, hopefully we will be able to select the players from the A-League and from New Zealand.

"But I'm realistic and I am ready. If we are not able to then we have to look for other players [but] hopefully, fingers crossed. I would love to finally have the players that were not able to join us in the previous tours."

Klimkova admitted striker Hannah Wilkinson is top of that list, after her impressive start to the season with Melbourne City, scoring seven goals in the first four A-League games, including five in the recent derby win.

Wilkinson has struggled with injuries in recent years – and has only scored one international goal since early 2018 – but Klimkova hopes she is back to her best.

"It's good for Hannah's confidence that she's playing well, she's scoring goals," said Klimkova. "I'm sure it will help us. Hannah hasn't been with us yet and I can't wait to have her again."

Klimkova has also been impressed with Rebekah Stott's A-League form, after her battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma last year, and indicated the 29-year-old Melbourne City defender was in the frame for selection.

"We don't have so many experiences with this kind of illness for the players to come back and being long-term ready to perform in such a challenging environment," said Klimkova. "So, I am so glad that she's playing. It will be huge for us to have her in the team.

Klimkova will catch up with Abby Erceg in the coming days to assess her long-term plans, after the experienced defender (144 caps) missed the last two tours for personal reasons.

Looking ahead to the tour, the United States will be familiar, and daunting, opponents.

The Ferns have faced the American side five times since 2016, with a total of 21 goals conceded across five defeats. Iceland and Czech Republic will also be tough, ranked 16th and 24th respectively by Fifa (New Zealand are 22nd).

Klimkova said the busy tournament schedule was an ideal scenario, ahead of next year's Fifa Women's World Cup.

"It's amazing for us to simulate the World Cup. This is the tournament that we are going to play. We will have three games in a very short period of time. So that will be our approach - we are playing the tournament."