Kerr could play first Chelsea game in 20 months

Sam Kerr could make her first Chelsea appearance for 20 months in the opening game of the Women's Super League season on Friday.

The Australia striker has not played for the Blues since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury during a training camp in January 2024.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said Kerr will be in the squad to face Manchester City as the reigning champions get the 2025-26 WSL season under way.

"I'm not sure if she will start or not," Bompastor said.

"She is in a good place, mentally in a good position. People want her on the pitch, she has experience but has been away a long time, so we have to be patient with her. But it is a good step for her to be in the squad."

Kerr has scored 58 goals in 75 WSL matches for Chelsea. She was particularly a key figure in three successive WSL title-winning seasons under former manager Emma Hayes, from 2020-21 to 2022-23.

Because of her injury, Kerr did not play at all during Bompastor's first season as Chelsea boss, in which the Blues won the domestic treble and became the first team to go through a 22-game WSL campaign unbeaten.

But she is now in a position to return, with Bompastor welcoming that news as she deals with a series of injuries elsewhere in her senior squad.

Striker Mayra Ramirez is out until the new year after surgery on her hamstring, while right-back Lucy Bronze and winger Lauren James will miss the start of the season with injuries suffered during Euro 2025.

Both featured for England in the Euros final – after which Bronze revealed she had been playing with a broken shin, while James was carrying an ankle injury which forced her off in the first half against Spain.

Bompastor did not blame either player for carrying on through injuries, nor England manager Sarina Wiegman, but she did admit the injuries are a real issue.

"I have a good relationship with Sarina, I texted her to say congrats [on winning Euro 2025]," Bompastor said.

The Chelsea boss understands why Bronze and James were keen to play on for England despite their injuries.

"I was a player, I would have done the same," Bompastor said. "But now we have this situation, it is not great to not have these two players."

She said it was "difficult" to put a timeframe on the return of both, but they would definitely be out for "a few weeks".

Bompastor also praised James for her bravery after an interview with BBC Sport, in which the Lionesses player said she had struggled with fan criticism while injured at the Euros and was fearful of racism after missing a penalty.

"She is not the only one who is quite vocal in my squad," Bompastor said of James. "I am proud of my players when they step up on important subjects. I encourage them to raise these problems. I encourage them to stay brave."