Alex Morgan available for US opener, but how much will she play? - USA TODAY

Alex Morgan available for U.S. opener, but how much will she play?

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Martin Rogers of USA TODAY Sports breaks down the Americans' opening matchup.

Alex Morgan looks on during the first half against New Zealand at Busch Stadium in April.(Photo: Jeff Curry, USA TODAY Sports)

WINNIPEG — There's no cracking U.S. coach Jill Ellis when it comes to Alex Morgan.

There's an air of secrecy regarding the star forward, who has been battling a bruised bone in her left knee and hasn't played a game since April 4, and just how much she will play Monday in Team USA's first World Cup match against Australia (7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1).

On the eve of Game 1, Ellis said Morgan had been fully integrated into training, calling her 100% and sharp.

"If called upon to start, I'd be ready to start," Morgan said Sunday. "Obviously I don't know what Jill's plan is, but if I would need to play 90 then I would play 90."

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Morgan, who has 51 goals in 84international appearances, has been vocal on social media about her return, saying she will be ready for Monday.

But if she isn't at the peak of her game, in group play or throughout the tournament, other players will need to step up, namely Sydney Leroux, Abby Wambach, Amy Rodriguez and Christen Press.

Leroux started the last two domestic send-off games before the World Cup, once with Press and the other with Wambach. The 25-year-old, who has scored 35 goals in 71 international appearances, is speedy, tough and relentless. Leroux scored twice against Mexico three weeks ago.

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Press started in place of Morgan when she was out with a sprained ankle during World Cup qualifying in October. Ellis recently moved Press to midfield, however, though she can get forward in the attack. It wouldn't be out of the question to see Press play up top if Morgan is limited.

Rodriguez is a similar player to Morgan in her ability to streak down the field and score. She had five goals in the Olympic qualifying tournament in 2012 but has only scored two for the USA in 20 games dating to September.

Wambach is the USA's all-time scoring leader and frequently comes through in big moments. In the 2011 World Cup, it was her header in stoppage time that put the USA through to a penalty-kick shootout in the quarterfinals against Brazil.

Morgan might be practicing with the team, but that's different from being able to play 90 minutes or even 45. She can't even remember the last time she played an entire game without coming off the field.

"She's been out for quite a while," Ellis said. "She's worked very, very hard on her fitness, but it's a little bit different for the game. We'll monitor that. As far as having her available, yes, very much so."

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The team likely will need some of Morgan's scoring flair to help win the World Cup in a tough group in which the Americans also face Sweden on Friday and Nigeria on June 16.

"If she started battling these injures yesterday, obviously that would have been a big change if she had been a starter, but we've been kind of prepared for that and working her back into the team," midfielder Megan Rapinoe said. "I think our hope is that she's fit and ready to play and she's a brilliant player, has the ability to score goals, which we're gonna need.

"At some point, we're gonna need to call on her. But I think for now, the team has prepared in different ways and prepared without her or her coming off the bench and I think that we're ready for that."

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