Matildas veteran Tameka Yallop's dreams of a fifth Women's Asian Cup appearance are in tatters, with the midfielder requiring surgery on her second serious hamstring injury this year.
Yallop was in tears after she re-injured her right hamstring and pulled up abruptly when chasing down a ball just 40 minutes into Brisbane Roar's 3-1 win over Adelaide United on Sunday.
She had scans late on Monday then met with a surgeon this week before the call was made to operate.
Surgery is expected to sideline Yallop until April's A-League Women finals - effectively ruling her out of the Asian Cup.
It is a blow to Matildas coach Joe Montemurro, who considers the veteran to be one of few genuine line-breaking midfield options in his squad.
The 34-year-old was sidelined for six months after suffering a serious hamstring tear on the same leg in Brisbane's final game of the previous season, in April, but had avoided surgery.
The popular, versatile and vastly experienced Yallop had been building minutes and momentum for Brisbane and returned for the Matildas in their recent friendlies against New Zealand.
As a teenager, Yallop was a member of the Matildas team that won the 2010 Asian Cup in China and had been desperate to repeat that feat in Australia.
"I would love to lift that trophy again, and to do it on home soil with people actually watching would just be a whole new level," she told AAP in October.
Yallop was also a member of squads that reached the final in 2014 and 2018 and the team that lost a quarter-final in 2022.
Mary Fowler, who is yet to return from an ACL tear, is the only other Matildas regular under an injury cloud ahead of the tournament.
Teammate Courtney Nevin is confident her close friend Fowler will be ready to go.
"Obviously it was very sad about her ACL, but she's working every day," Nevin told AAP.
"She's putting in the work, and she's taking it day by day.
"She just wants to focus on getting her rehab right, so she's just doing everything that she can to be 100 per cent for her career."
Nevin is among the fringe Matildas hoping to lock down her spot in Montemurro's squad ahead of the tournament opener against the Philippines on March 1 in Perth.
With Steph Catley spending more time at centre-back, there is an opportunity for Nevin, 23, to try and make the left-back role her own.
"It's everyone's ambition to be a part of that squad and a part of that Asian Cup. So I'm very determined," she said.
"Obviously, I do want to be a part of that squad, and I'm going to do everything that I can to put myself in the best position to be picked."
Nevin was speaking at the launch of the National Portrait Gallery's major new work 'The Matildas 2025', a 23-minute video portrait of the 23 members of Australia's 2023 Women's World Cup by artist Angela Tiatia.
"Watching it in real time and having that big screen and being able to hear the emotion in the music, it was a very surreal moment for me, and a bit of a pinch me moment for me," she said.
