Chelsea attacker Sam Kerr will make her long -awaited return for the first time since she sustained a front cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in January last year after coach Sonia Bompastor said on Thursday that the Australian is in her team.
Kerr was sidelined after she sustained the ACL injury last year during a training camp for hot weather in Morocco.
The 31-year-old, who came to Chelsea in 2019, scored 99 goals in 128 games for the London side and won the competition five times, the FA Cup three times and the League Cup twice.
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«Sam is in a good place. She trains well, she is physically in a good position and she is also mentally in a good place,» said Bompastor to the Super League opener of Friday to Manchester City.
“I think she is one of the players who wants to see everyone on the field. It’s nice for me to have her in the team with her leadership experience.
«But at the same time we have to be patient with her because she’s gone for a long time from the field. She is not yet at her best level, but hopefully that will get soon. It is already a good step for her to be in the team.»
Kerr had an average of almost 30 goals for Chelsea in the past three seasons before being injured in the 2023-24 campaign.
A dual winner of the Golden Boot, Kerr also finished in second place of the Spain’s Aitana Bonmati at the Ballon d’Or Awards in 2023.
But more than her goals, Bompastor said that Kerr’s presence was only a boost because she saw the attacker as one of the leaders of the team who has now won six consecutive WSL titles.
«She’s really a smart football player. I really enjoy watching her, making those good runs with the right timing. With these players you don’t really teach them how to play football – they already know how to do that,» she added.
“For me it is more about giving them all the confidence to be the best version of themselves on the field, but sometimes I can also give more details about when I have to run, how to do something better.
«I tried to help in that sense, but Sam is a great player and she doesn’t need much. Sam is in the team, so she will be involved in the game, but we don’t know yet if she will start or if she will be on the couch.»
Published on 04 September 2025
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