Sam Kerr faces a race against time to feature in Chelsea’s end-of-season push for four titles with the English champions reporting the injured Matildas’ captain is still “a few weeks” away from being ready.
With the Blues set to embark on a punishing schedule as they seek to add the Women’s Super League, FA Cup and Champions League crowns to the League Cup they’ve already pocketed, manager Sonia Bompastor had frustrating news on Friday for fans desperate to see their star striker back.
Bompastor reckoned it had been a key step for the 31-year-old to join up with her Matildas teammates back in Australia during the international break after what’s been a trying time off the field for Kerr, who was exonerated in a high-profile court case of causing racially aggravated harassment of a police officer.
“‘It was really important for her,” said Bompastor. “First of all, mentally, because she had the chance to be around the national team, which is really important for her, and also she could see her family, which is really nice to have the opportunity to do.”
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But as for Kerr’s return to action, it’s now been 14 months since she suffered her ACL injury on a training camp and Bompastor admitted: “We’re still a few weeks away from Sam returning fully on the pitch, so it’s difficult to put a timeframe on it.”
That forecast suggests it may not be before the end of April that Kerr could return, by which time there would only be three weeks of the domestic season left, with the last day of the WSL being on May 10 and the FA Cup final the following weekend should Chelsea get there.
Chelsea play their FA Cup semi-final with Liverpool on Saturday, before the two legs of their Champions League semi-final against champions Barcelona on April 20 and 27, which it would be a stretch to think Kerr would be ready for after such an extended break.
Chelsea’s dream is to finish their four-trophy push with a Champions League final on Saturday, May 24 in Lisbon, leaving the question of whether, after 15 months out, she could battle her way back into a team that’s lost just one game all season.
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While she continues to recuperate, Bompastor says Chelsea are ready for their big final push, but noting they need a “ruthless mentality” after a recent slip in standards.
“In March we dropped four points against Brighton in the beginning of the block, and the last game against West Ham we drew. As a team, we can’t drop our standards like we did and it’s up to us to make sure we have this ruthless mentality as a team.
“For the game tomorrow, I just want to see the best version of Chelsea on the pitch.”
The other FA Cup semi-final on Sunday features a Manchester derby between United and City, who are expected to thrust Mary Fowler straight back into the team after impressing for the Matildas.
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