Star striker Sam Kerr has been included in Chelsea’s squad for the Women’s Champions League knock-out rounds in an indication she is nearing a return from injury.
But what should have been a positive milestone in the 31-year-old’s recovery from a serious knee injury which has kept her off the pitch for 15 months was tempered by Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor, who urged fans to lower expectations about Kerr’s long-awaited comeback.
Kerr is one of 25 players named in Chelsea’s squad for the elimination rounds of the Champions League, which get under way with a quarter-final next week against Mary Fowler’s Manchester City.
The Australia international has been sidelined since rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament during training in January 2024, in a kind of injury that typically requires around 12 months recovery.
Chelsea’s coach was careful with her response when asked whether the Australian’s continued absence was a concern.
“Everyone is different, everyone reacts differently from the beginning, the surgery and everything, so it’s really difficult to say and put a timeframe for every injury,” Bompastor said.
“For Sam, we have been in this timeframe and now we just need to focus on what we need to do with her every day to make sure she is the most close to coming back on the pitch.
“You always expect – and our job is to make sure in terms of performance – we are efficient, the way we work, but sometimes even if you have high expectations it doesn’t go the way you want, and you need to just have plan B, plan C for that.”
Kerr’s ongoing absence has also been felt by an Australian outfit that has slid to a 20-year low of No 16 in the world rankings during a difficult transition period being led by interim coach Tom Sermanni.
The Matildas play South Korea in two friendlies in early April, and the squad will be announced in late March, suggesting Kerr is unlikely to make her national team return until later in the year.
“Everyone is different, so maybe you can’t expect from one player after an ACL to say she could be back after 10 months, for some others you say 13, 14 months so it’s difficult to predict,” Bompastor said.
Chelsea also play Manchester City in this weekend’s League Cup final as they chase the first of a possible four trophies this season. The two teams meet each other four times in coming weeks.
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Kerr has been pictured training with her team-mates in recent weeks, and Chelsea needed to name the 25 players they wished to use for the next three rounds of the European competition, up until the final on 25 May.
Bompastor added that Kerr was “progressing well” but sought to address the high expectations around the return of the striker who finished second in the Ballon d’Or in 2023.
“I just want her to feel like the main focus for her will be to work really hard, be the best version of herself,” Bompastor said.
“If we have positive news and she can bring into the team her experience, but also her competencies, it will be great.
“I just want her to focus step by step, but the main thing for me is making sure she works hard and she just comes back in the squad.”