Kerr 'relishing Every Moment' After First Chelsea Start In 692 Days

They opportunity a week is simply a agelong clip successful football, ne'er mind 99 of them.

Sam Kerr knows that each excessively well, arsenic her 692-day hold to commencement a lucifer for Chelsea came to an extremity connected Tuesday.

After scoring successful her side's 3-1 Champions League triumph against BK Hacken connected 20 December 2023, Kerr's profession was rocked by injury.

An anterior cruciate ligament wounded sustained during a warm-weather training campy successful January 2024, followed by respective setbacks, kept her retired of competitory action until September this year.

After scoring doubly successful 9 substitute appearances this season, Kerr made nan astir of her first commencement pinch 2 superbly taken goals successful Chelsea's 6-0 Champions League thrashing of Austrian broadside St Polten.

"It feels good. It felt for illustration I had to activity myself into it but yeah, happy to score," Kerr told Disney+.

"Of course, I for illustration to play much minutes. When you travel connected for 20 minutes it's a spot hectic, there's tons of subs and it tin beryllium a spot wishy-washy. I consciousness for illustration coming was good.

"I had a fewer chances successful nan first half. I'm conscionable happy to beryllium backmost retired present playing successful nan Champions League again, pinch an astonishing team. I'm relishing each moment."

For a while it looked for illustration it conscionable wouldn't beryllium Kerr's night.

She whitethorn person started 2 friendlies for Australia past period but her sharpness is still coming backmost and, successful nan first half, missed 3 chances she would beryllium expected to take.

Her bad boy finishing continued erstwhile she blazed complete early successful nan 2nd half, while her poorly timed tally led to team-mate Naomi Girma's first-half header being ruled retired for offside.

Then emerged nan Kerr Europe's defenders hoped they mightiness not spot again.

A superb first touch from Wieke Kaptein's transverse sewage nan shot retired of her feet, earlier a sweeping right-foot onslaught near goalkeeper Carina Schluter helpless.

For her second, Kerr dropped backmost disconnected nan protect statement into space, adjusted to meet nan formation of Niamh Charles' transverse and planted a header precocious into nan net.

"It feels a spot sweeter but it feels a spot weird," Kerr said connected whether nan emotion of scoring has changed aft her injury.

"I didn't people for truthful agelong that I was for illustration I haven't celebrated, really. I haven't sewage that ceremony point yet. I've sewage to people a fewer more."

Next Kerr will target a first WSL commencement since 17 December 2023. With Aggie Beever-Jones missing nan past 2 games pinch a dormant leg, it could travel against Liverpool connected Sunday.

"I consciousness 100% but I was retired for a while, truthful I person to build myself up," Kerr said.

"Today was a bully set, right? Getting immoderate bully minutes successful nan nationalist squad was a bully set. I'm decidedly fresh enough, it's conscionable astir getting miles successful nan legs now. I'm fresh to go."

Kerr wasn't nan only 1 making a comeback connected Tuesday.

Lauren James made her first Chelsea quality successful 225 days aft suffering an ankle wounded during Euro 2025, while January signing Girma made nan starting XI for her first minutes of nan season.

"That's really important. That's almost important erstwhile you person each your players disposable from a value perspective, but besides having extent and being capable to rotate," Chelsea leader Sonia Bompastor told Disney+.

"It was a really speedy turnaround betwixt nan crippled connected Saturday and this one, truthful erstwhile you are capable to bring connected immoderate caller legs and quality, it ever helps a lot."

With Beever-Jones and Guro Reiten group to return soon from wounded and parental time off respectively, Bompastor could beryllium faced pinch a action headache. She doesn't mind.

"I for illustration to person that problem, I deliberation it's ever amended for nan head to person galore options and to person to make decisions," she said.

"It's ever difficult because nan players are apical quality. But I americium comfortable and utilized to that, it is portion of nan job."