Sam Keer on Twitter
Following Christmas Day and the New Year period, life in general is beginning to return
to a more sort of normal, and that is also true for the game of football as they enjoy the
winter break, with clubs and players now having a brief period of respite following what is
now the annual festive fixture crush.
Many clubs now take this opportunity of the year to take in a warm weather training
camp as that at least reduces the problems that can be caused by the inclement
weather, and the massive amounts of rain that we see at this time of the year in
England, and with the growth in recent times of the
women's game, they are also now no
different. For those who continue to like a flutter and
betting online, the odds on potential
postponements in future years, and well as potential season ending injuries could be
worth a small gamble, as there is unfortunately a growing trend in such problems and
another player has now fallen foul.
So it will come as an even bigger blow to Chelsea fans as they learn that hugely talented
striker,
Sam Kerr, is now set to miss the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign having
picked up an anterior cruciate ligament injury at their warm weather camp out in
Morocco.
Chelsea have this weekend confirmed the injury and stated that the 30 year old
Australian international skipper will soon be assessed by a specialist and will then begin
her rehabilitation period, and undertake her journey back to full fitness.
It is not yet known whether or not she will require surgery on the problem.
It will be a blow to Chelsea as they currently top the Women's Super League table by
three points, with Manchester City in second place, and Kerr is a vital cog in their team.
Having joined back in 2019, she has scored a whopping 99 goals in 128 matches for
them since - more than playing her part in their success since then - with that success
including four WSL titles, three FA Cups, two Women's League Cups and the Women's
Community Shield.
On a more personal front Kerr has also won the Golden Boot twice, and was the runner
up to Spain's Aitana Bonmati at the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony last year.
Her form in 2023/24 showed no signs of abating either, in eight WSL matches so far,
Kerr has found the net four times, and she was excelling in the Champions League,
already finding the net five times in just four games.
A statement from Chelsea naturally wished her the best and hoped that she enjoyed a
speedy and full recovery given the circumstances, and such a lengthy lay off is very
unfortunate for the Aussie star.
She missed part of last summer's World Cup finals with a calf injury that was picked up
in training, and she has only really just recovered from a foot injury that also saw her
miss her countries friendly clashes with Canada last month.
Picking up the injury at this point, given an ACL often means at least a rough nine month
lay off in normal and uncomplicated circumstances, Kerr is obviously out for the rest of
the campaign, and she will also miss Australia's Olympic qualifiers against Uzbekistan
next month, and if they naturally qualify, the Paris Games which are set to take place this
summer.
Tony Gustavsson, Australian head coach, knew exactly how big a blow this latest injury
was to Kerr, but also for his side.
"Considering how hard Sam has worked over the past six months to return to play, this
news is a devastating blow for everyone. With her ability to lead by example, Sam's
guidance and influence on the team is significant and, as a result, this will be an
incredible loss for the national team. Our focus now is on ensuring she has all the
support she wants and needs to navigate recovery and rehab."
In both the men's and
women's game in recent seasons, injuries and the similar nature
of specific injuries occurring has become a growing subject, particularly in light of the talk
of a growing fixture calendar for some clubs, long pre season tours that have now
become the norm, and an expanding European and International set of obligations.
Kerr now simply joins a growing list of women's players with this particular issue.
England duo Beth Mead and Leah Williamson, Arsenal and Netherlands star Vivianne
Miedema and Canada's Janine Beckie all missed the last World Cup with ACL lay offs,
and there will undoubtedly be a few more before we close the campaign out.
Kerr now simply joins a growing list of women's players with this particular issue.
England duo
Beth Mead and Leah Williamson, Arsenal and Netherlands star Vivianne
Miedema and Canada's Janine Beckie all missed the last World Cup with ACL lay offs,
and there will undoubtedly be a few more before we close the campaign out.
Even though Kerr is out of contract at the end of this season, even if Chelsea decide to
change direction, there will be plenty of clubs who trust the science and would more than
be willing to bring her on board given what she could still offer.
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Sam Kerr profile