Mary Fowler should be applauded for her "courageous" willingness to open up about her mental health, says Matildas coach Joe Montemurro.

Playmaker Fowler, 22, is set for a January return from her ACL tear suffered in April.

Fowler recently released her book "Bloom," where she detailed struggling with her mental health, self-harming and experiencing suicidal thoughts during her time at French club Montpellier as a teenager.

"We need to applaud the fact that she's been able to face those issues ... it's so courageous to talk about these things and to come up with it," Montemurro said on Monday.

"And the fact that she's been able to deal with these issues, I think, is all credit to her, it's amazing.

"I suppose it's a little bit of a sign of the pressures that professional athletes

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