Injured rugby league player Nathan Cleary has expressed deep appreciation to Matildas forward Mary Fowler, his partner who flew to Australia to spend time with him as he recovers from major surgery. Fowler withdrew from international duty with the Australian national team, who lost 4-2 to Germany in a friendly on Saturday, and has been spending time with Cleary in Sydney. He posted on Instagram on Sunday evening with a series of photos of their time together in recent days.
I’m a very lucky man and so, so grateful.” Fowler responded, saying she was “very lucky” and “it’s easy to look after someone when they’re a big cutie patootie”. The Manchester City forward had earlier posted herself with Cleary and his dog Prince while supporting Cleary’s teammate Liam Henry, who was fundraising for Parkinson’s on Saturday. It confirmed the reason for Fowler’s withdrawal from the Matildas’ squad which had been previously described as for “personal circumstances”.
Matildas coach Joe Montemurro addressed her absence prior to the match in Karlsruhe. Midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross was also left out of the Matildas’ squad for the match as she continues her return to top-flight football after the death of her mother in July. Fowler will also miss the Matildas’ friendly against Haiti this week in France.
Cleary suffered a broken left leg in Penrith’s NRL preliminary final defeat to Newcastle, and he also underwent surgery on his right foot to correct a stress fracture. The 28-year-old requires a wheelchair for his mobility, and Fowler was shown on Instagram helping re-tie his medical boot and massaging his thigh. Manchester City’s next WSL match is in seven days against Brighton.
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