- Sam Kerr hasn’t played in 12 months
- He suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in January 2024
- The forward aims to return in March
Sam Kerr has joined Chelsea at their mid-winter training camp in Portugal as he looks to continue his recovery from a long-standing knee injury.
The Matildas captain has not been in a Chelsea team for the past 12 months after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the equivalent warm-weather training break in Morocco last January.
Coach Sonia Bompastor said last month that the 31-year-old was expected to make her long-awaited return to action in February or March.
However, news of his participation in the Portugal camp generated excitement among Blues fans that he could return even sooner than expected.
But Chelsea say both Kerr and American striker Mia Fishel, who is also away after suffering her own ACL injury last February, will not train with the rest of the team as they focus on their own recovery.
And Kerr herself has made it clear that she will not run back until she is completely satisfied that she is fully fit.
Sam Kerr is accelerating his recovery from his long-term knee injury at Chelsea as he joins the English champions at their mid-winter training camp in Portugal.
The Matildas captain has not been in a Chelsea team in the last 12 months after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last January (pictured with teammate Kristie Mewis)
Sam Kerr is pictured with his beloved grandmother Coral Kerr, who was hit by a car near her home in Perth last month.
Kerr was at her Matildas teammate Emily van Egmond’s wedding with her father Roger when she heard about the accident.
Although Matildas interim coach Tom Sermanni will be delighted to have him back coaching at Chelsea, February’s She Believes Cup in the US will surely come too soon for any prospect of a return, with Chelsea no doubt he wants to help her gently return to battle.
It won’t be a walk in the park for Kerr to return directly to the team either, with unbeaten Chelsea having won 15 of their 16 games this season.
The impressive run of results has seen the Blues rise six points clear in the Women’s Super League.
They have also reached the quarterfinals of the Women’s Champions League with a perfect winning record.
But seeing Kerr posing for photos with fellow stars Millie Bright, Erin Cuthbert and Guro Reiten – known as the club’s ‘Fantastic Four’ – in Official Chelsea X Feed will delight the Blues faithful.
Following their week of training in Portugal, Chelsea will resume action against Charlton in the fourth round of their FA Women’s Cup defense at their home in Kingsmeadow on Sunday 12 January.