We examine what this means for Kerr, how the Matildas can cope with her absence, and who will replace the irreplaceable Aussie star.
What injury did Sam Kerr sustain and how long did she recover?
Chelsea's statement simply said Kerr had “suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury” while the Australian Football Association statement described it as a “ruptured anterior cruciate ligament”. This is not good news. A torn ACL usually requires surgery and recovery takes at least nine months. This is the second time Kerr has suffered an ACL injury, with the previous injury occurring in 2011. Season-ending knee injuries have become a major issue for all women's sports, and in the A-League Women's League there were six ACL injuries in the first half. of the season alone while the NRLW has recorded 10 in 2023 and the AFLW has nine. Several of the world's leading female players missed last year's World Cup finals in Australia due to knee reconstruction operations. Experts claim that female athletes are “five to seven times” more likely than men to suffer ACL injuries.
What does this mean for Sam Kerr's playing future?
Kerr is ending her contract with Chelsea, and there was strong belief in the UK that the 30-year-old was about to become the first player in history to sign a playing contract worth more than $1 million per season. The question now is whether Chelsea are willing to offer such a lucrative and bank-breaking deal for a player coming off a serious knee injury. There is no doubt that Kerr is still young enough to recover and return to her peak, but the timing of this injury simply could not be worse for Kerr and her contract negotiations. It is difficult to see any rival clubs willing to make serious bids for an injured player that would push her income to sky-high levels.
Will Sam Kerr play in the Olympics?
The Matildas ruled Kerr out of the Olympic qualifiers in February, and Chelsea have also ruled her out for the rest of the Premier League season, which ends in May. But no club or country has ruled her out of the Olympics in July, instead insisting that “no time frame has been set” for her return.
It will take a medical miracle for Kerr to be back playing at full capacity in six-and-a-half months when the Olympics begin in Paris.
But could she be one of Tony Gustafsson's famous “game changers”?
Matildas fans will remember that the coach carried Kiah Simone to last year's World Cup finals just nine months after she damaged her anterior cruciate ligament in a “game-changing” role that almost saw her take the field to win a penalty shootout over France.
We've since learned that Simone injured her calf during World Cup camp, so it wasn't the ACL that prevented Gustafsson from pulling the trigger during her role.
Could Kerr be selected for PSG with the same vision – the 'break the glass in case of emergency' option from the bench in penalties?
Given her experience and what she does in and around the team off the field, it wouldn't be a huge shock if she were transferred to Paris, albeit as a playing rider.
When will the Matildas play next?
Tony Gustafsson will have little time to come up with a solution for Sam Kerr, because next month Australia face a two-match playoff against world No. 47 Uzbekistan. It offers him the opportunity to showcase any new young talent – and enhance his preferred attacking threat. But he can't take it wrong, as their place in Paris is at stake.
Uzbekistan will host the first leg in Tashkent in 47 days, and the final result will be decided at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne four days later on February 28. Kerr played an important role in Australia's previous qualifying victories over Iran, the Philippines and China Taipei.
How will the Matildas replace Kerr in their starting lineup?
As we saw during last year's FIFA World Cup, Australia have options to cover Kerr's absence in the starting lineup. Gustafsson ran with Mary Fowler and Caitlin Ford up front last year, and some might argue that the Matildas looked sharper up front without Kerr as the focal point. Ford and Hayley Raso both stepped up for the goals while Fowler was the rising star of the tournament for Australia, showing the world she has the potential to become Australia's next superstar. Australia will be fully behind Fowler in Paris, but you simply cannot escape the fact that having a Matildas squad without a fully fit Kerr is a devastating blow to their chances of winning an Olympic medal.
Which young blood could make her way onto the Olympic team?
As we discussed previously, Matilda Kerr has not yet been ruled out of the Paris Games – but her presence is very much hanging by a thread, which would open up a place in Gustafsson's lineup. Charlie Rhule, a 20-year-old with Brighton in the WSL, looms as a potential big winner after getting a taste of the team environment and then making her debut for the Matildas against Canada in November last year. Unfortunately, one of the main candidates – highly-rated 20-year-old forward Holly McNamara – has also been sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which she suffered prior to Canada's friendlies.
