Sam Kerr Poised For Chelsea Return In Women’s Super League Opener After Injury

Sam Kerr is poised to make her long-awaited return for Chelsea connected Friday nighttime aft 20 months retired because of a superior knee injury, erstwhile nan Women’s Super League play gets nether way.

The Chelsea caput coach, Sonia Bompastor, said connected Thursday that nan Australia striker would beryllium successful her squad erstwhile nan defending champions big Manchester City astatine Stamford Bridge.

Kerr has not played for Chelsea competitively since rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament successful January 2024 and missed nan full of past play arsenic her nine won a home treble.

“Sam Kerr is successful nan squad, truthful she will beryllium progressive successful nan game,” Bompastor said. “We don’t cognize yet if she will commencement aliases not, but yes, she is successful nan squad, she’s successful a bully place. She’s been training well. She’s mentally and physically successful a bully position.

“She is 1 of nan players who everyone wants to spot connected nan transportation and it’s bully for maine to person her successful nan squad pinch her activity and experience. At nan aforesaid time, she’s been distant from nan transportation for a agelong clip truthful I deliberation we request to still beryllium diligent pinch her and it’s normal for her to not beryllium astatine nan champion level yet. Sam is simply a awesome player.”

Kerr’s return could beryllium timely aft Mayra Ramírez had room connected a hamstring wounded that will sideline her for a lengthy spell. Bompastor said: “She had successful surgery, which is thing really positive, but it’s sad for Mayra and sad for america because she was a really important subordinate successful nan team. For maine now it’s astir making judge she had a speedy recovery. That’s a large nonaccomplishment for us.”

Chelsea are besides without nan England right-back Lucy Bronze, who played done a fractured tibia during Euro 2025. “It’s difficult now to put a timeframe connected Lucy’s return but she is doing well,” Bompastor said. “She’s successful a bully spot mentally and physically, truthful hopefully she will travel backmost soon, but I deliberation she’ll still immoderate weeks distant from her return connected nan pitch.”