Football fans have been left heartbroken after Chelsea FC’s coach dropped a major update on whether we’ll see Sam Kerr on the pitch. Spoiler alert: it’s not looking good ‘cos I’m impatient AF!
ICYMI, Sam Kerr has been off the pitch since January 2024 following a devastating excruciating anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury she copped during a Women’s Super League leaders’ training camp in Morocco.
Following the injury, the Tillies skipper has undergone surgery and has been working towards a full recovery.
As a result, Kerr has been MIA when it comes to both Chelsea and Tillies games. There was even a bit of hope that she’d return for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, but the beloved Aussie sporting icon was still in recovery mode.
And unfortunately, it appears that Kerr won’t be back onto the pitch until 2025.
During a press conference on Saturday (local time), Chelsea FC coach Sonia Bompastor shared that Kerr will not be returning in 2024, adding that she hasn’t even trained with the team as she remains on a modified recovery program.
“I would say Sam we are looking to maybe have back with us February, March, not before that,” Bompastor shared, per news.com.au.
“She didn’t start yet to train, even being modified with the group, so she’s still on her individual process rehab and I think it will take at least two or three more months for her to be fit enough to be with the squad.”
I mean, there is a possibility for punters to see Kerr before the season wraps in May, but at this point, I think the goal scorer needs all the rest she can get!
When will Sam Kerr return to the Matildas?
As for Matildas coach Tom Sermanni, he said that Kerr’s rehab “is going really well”, reassuring that these ACL injuries take a full year to heal.
“Things are getting a little bit better in rehab, but in reality, it’s still probably a 12-month injury, and Sam’s taking that time to come back to ensure that hopefully, when she comes back, she’s going to be completely fit and healthy,” he said last month.
Following a stellar 6 – 0 victory over Taiwan last week, Tillies midfielder Tameka Yallop described Kerr’s injury as a “tough situation”.
“Everyone feels for Sam and we are all right there supporting her with her recovery and it’s important for her to be 100 per cent before she comes back,” Yallop said, per 7News.
“We want her for the long term, not the short term.
“We are supporting her through it, and she remains a major part of the team.”
On the plus side, Sam Kerr recently announced that she and fiancée Kristie Mewis will be expecting a little bébé in 2025!
The baby news is DEFINITELY the ray of sunshine we need during this cloudy, gloomy time without Kerr.
Also, I totally forgot it’s literally December 2024, so I guess it won’t be long. But honestly, it feels like YONKS.
