Controversial Matildas squad selection Kyah Simon had an injury setback after the Women's World Cup started that reduced her role to that of potential penalty taker.

Simon was selected as part of the 23-player squad on July 3, despite not having played since tearing her left anterior cruciate ligament for former club Tottenham in October last year.

The 32-year-old did not play a single minute in her third World Cup, as Australia reached the semi-finals for the first time.

The striker's absence only compounded the loss of captain Sam Kerr for the opening three games.

"The (penalty) shootout. I could have used her there," coach Tony Gustavsson said after the Matildas' 2-0 loss to Sweden in Saturday's third-place play-off.

"You saw she was next to me in that technical area for that France game (in the quarter-final) when I explained why I didn't do that. But that's the only point I could have used her.

"Maybe I need to make that clear. That wasn't the case when I selected her. But she had some setbacks in her training during the World Cup so she wasn't able to be a game changer."

Gustavsson clarified Simon had setbacks before and after the final squad was locked in, 24 hours before Australia's opening game against Ireland on July 20.

"She had a minor, smaller (setback). She was selected being available and in the last two weeks of training pre-camp she was phenomenal," he said.

"Played an 11-aside and did a really good job then.

"After the selection, up in Gold Coast she had a minor setback - just a minor one, a little knock, we knew it was not going to be a problem and so that's why I kept her.

"And then after the window closed, she had another setback where she was just able to take a PK (penalty kick)."