Sam Kerr has ended her 692-day wait to start a match for Chelsea, and what a comeback it was. The Australian striker scored two superb goals in Chelsea's 6-0 Champions League thrashing of Austrian side St Polten, marking a significant milestone in her recovery from injury.
Kerr's career was rocked by a series of setbacks, including an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained during a warm-weather training camp in January 2024. Despite scoring in her side's 3-1 Champions League victory against BK Hacken on 20 December 2023, Kerr's progress was hindered by several injuries, keeping her out of competitive action until September this year.
After making nine substitute appearances this season, scoring twice, Kerr finally started a match for Chelsea, and she made the most of it. Her first goal was a sweeping right-foot strike that left goalkeeper Carina Schluter helpless, while her second was a well-placed header that high into the net.
"It feels good. It felt like I had to work myself into it but yeah, happy to score," Kerr told Disney+. "I'm just happy to be back out here playing in the Champions League again, with an amazing team. I'm relishing every moment."
Kerr's return to action is not the only positive news for Chelsea, as several players made their comebacks on Tuesday. Lauren James made her first Chelsea appearance in 225 days after suffering an ankle injury during Euro 2025, while January signing Naomi Girma made the starting XI for her first minutes of the season.
Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor was thrilled with the team's performance, saying, "That's really important. That's almost crucial when you have all your players available from a quality perspective, but also having depth and being able to rotate."
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