Canberra United will consider rotating its squad to cope with a busy schedule of three games in six days, including having star midfielder Sally Shipard available for the first time this season.
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Shipard is progressing strongly at training and could make her comeback from a knee injury as early as Sunday's W-League match with Perth Glory at McKellar Park.
It is the start of a busy run into the finals, United hosting ladder leaders Sydney FC on Wednesday night before backing up against the lowly Newcastle Jets on Saturday.
United assistant coach Raeanne Dower said the number of games squeezed together meant it would be essential to keep players fresh.
''We'll be definitely using the full squad over the next three games to make sure everyone gets the appropriate rest,'' she said.
''We're in a good position that we've got the full squad to choose from and a number of those girls will get some game time.''
Shipard, 26, has battled knee problems for the past 18 months. The 57-cap Matilda has made steady improvement in the past few weeks after having to push back a planned return in November when she experienced swelling.
''She did football conditioning last night and got through that quite well,'' Dower said.
''The next couple of days we'll monitor her load and see how the knee recovers. She's doing everything she possibly can in her rehab and putting the hours in on the park to make herself available.''
One player who can relate to Shipard's situation is United utility Caitlin Munoz.
After three major reconstructions and several additional operations on both her knees, the 30-year-old has overcome two more obstacles this season to fight her way back into the starting side.
Munoz was out for four months with a torn medial ligament in her left knee in the pre-season before tearing a quad muscle just before Christmas, missing three weeks.
''My knee problems have been there for a while, so I'm used to what pain I have to deal with and what I need to get checked out,'' Munoz said.
''The main thing is how she pulls up and if she can handle the pain.
''If she does all the right rehab and all the right rest I think she'll be able to do it.''
