Matildas star Hayley Raso could miss a mooted friendly showdown with England after fracturing her back in a National Women's Soccer League game.
Raso was hospitalised after colliding with Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe as her Portland Thorns prevailed 1-0 in their NWSL fixture at the weekend.
The 23-year-old attacker, who plays for Brisbane Roar in the W-League, was taken from the field on a stretcher in seemingly severe pain.
The Thorns have confirmed Raso suffered a "non-displaced fracture of the transverse processes of L2, L3 and L4" and will miss the next six to eight weeks.
It's been a tough past few days...
— Hayley Raso (@HayleyRaso) August 27, 2018
Thank you all for the messages of support. I'll be back again soon!! https://t.co/AJ4qh30d7q
The injury will end her NWSL season and could put her at risk of missing the start of the W-League campaign, which begins in late October.
She had missed the start of the NWSL campaign because of a knee issue.
Raso would now be at long odds to feature in rumoured clashes for Australia with England and France in early October.
Reports surfaced last month that the eighth-ranked Matildas would head to Europe to face the Lionesses, who are ranked No. 4 in the world and coached by former Manchester United defender Phil Neville.
The report also claimed the tour would include a match against world No. 3-ranked France.
The fixtures are yet to be confirmed but would be important pre-World Cup rehearsals for Alen Stajcic's Matildas, who were undefeated and finished second in the recent four-team Tournament of Nations.