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 on Friday night after 20 months out because of a serious knee injury, when the Women’s Super League season gets under way.

The Chelsea head coach, Sonia Bompastor, said on Thursday that the Australia striker would be in her squad when the defending champions host Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

Kerr has not played for Chelsea competitively since rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in January 2024 and missed the whole of last season as her club won a domestic treble.

“Sam Kerr is in the squad, so she will be involved in the game,” Bompastor said. “We don’t know yet if she will start or not, but yes, she is in the squad, she’s in a good place. She’s been training well. She’s mentally and physically in a good position.

“She is one of the players who everyone wants to see on the pitch and it’s nice for me to have her in the squad with her leadership and experience. At the same time, she’s been away from the pitch for a long time so I think we need to still be patient with her and it’s normal for her to not be at the best level yet. Sam is a great player.”

Kerr’s return could be timely after Mayra Ramírez had surgery on a hamstring injury that will sideline her for a lengthy spell. Bompastor said: “She had successful surgery, which is something really positive, but it’s sad for Mayra and sad for us because she was a really important player in the team. For me now it’s about making sure she had a speedy recovery. That’s a big loss for us.”

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Chelsea are also without the England right-back Lucy Bronze, who played through a fractured tibia during Euro 2025. “It’s difficult now to put a timeframe on Lucy’s return but she is doing well,” Bompastor said. “She’s in a good place mentally and physically, so hopefully she will come back soon, but I think she’ll still be some weeks away from her return on the pitch.”

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