by On Sunday, another high-profile casualty was added to the ever-growing list of women’s players affected by the dreaded anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Prolific Chelsea striker Sam Kerr picked up the injury during the club’s warm-weather training camp in Morocco ahead of the resumption of the domestic season and has been ruled out for the foreseeable future.
The Australian forward was the latest to be affected, continuing the ongoing spate of ACL issues in the women’s game. At least 13 Women’s Super League players are going through recovery, including the England captain, Leah Williamson, the Manchester United Defender Gabby George and the Leicester winger Hannah Cain.
Related: Sam Kerr: Chelsea and Australia striker out for the season after ACL injury
Kerr is undoubtedly an icon of the game, and his absence will be keenly felt by his club and country. With her contract up at the end of this season, there will also be questions about whether she will be seen in a Chelsea shirt again.
Since arriving in west London four years ago, she has led Emma Hayes’ side, scoring 99 goals in 128 games. Her natural instinct in front of goal, especially on the biggest stages, is second to none and she has been central to the Blues’ impressive trophy haul (four WSL titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups) since her arrival.
The significant calf injury she suffered on the eve of last summer’s World Cup – one which she was still feeling the effects of at the start of this season – has made it a slow campaign so far due to the she had high standards.
However, the 30-year-old continued to play a significant role as Chelsea looked to secure their fifth consecutive league title and another attempt at the Champions League in Hayes’ final season at the club.
Taking over the captaincy in the absence of the injured Millie Bright, she has four WSL goals to her name and is currently joint top scorer in the Champions League with Barcelona’s Salma Paralluelo.
“I don’t know anyone who puts the ball away like she does. She’s really alert and decisive with her movement,” Hayes said after scoring a hat-trick against Paris FC. “If that’s her at 80% I’ll take that every week. That’s not bad and it can’t be I’ll wait for the 100% version.”
Sadly for Hayes and Chelsea, they will not find Kerr’s services fully fit for this season at least and that leaves the manager with a problem to solve. Does she stick with the personnel she has acquired or go on the hunt in the January transfer window for another striker?
Kerr is much more than just her goals – her press, energy, instinctive vision and leadership are second to none and players with all of those attributes are hard to come by.
The 22-year-old Mia Fishel was recruited in the summer as a back-up striker but despite her obvious ability she is still not at Kerr’s level. Fellow American Catarina Macario is another exciting prospect as she nears her return to action.
She was signed from Lyon in the summer but suffered an ACL injury in June 2022, which has left her sidelined for a long time and will undoubtedly need time. Furthermore, although she is perfectly capable of leading the line, she is more often used as an attacking midfielder, linking up with the person in front of her.
Related: How can ACLs and other serious injuries be prevented in women’s football? | Karen Carney
Kerr’s absence will also be a significant blow for Australia, which is trying to qualify for the Olympics this summer. Tony Gustavsson’s Matildas will have to adjust to life without their captain and all-time leading scorer again after his injury problems at the 2023 World Cup.
They will face Uzbekistan in the AFC Olympic qualifiers in February, a trophy they are favorites to win. Paris 2024 was Kerr’s third Olympic appearance and her chance to medal after narrowly missing out at Tokyo 2020.
An ACL injury is a huge blow to anyone who suffers from it, often resulting in a nine-month absence from the field. Recovery is a long and sometimes lonely experience for every player. The recent Arsenal documentary Step by Step highlighted this aspect as it followed Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema as they returned to action.
Women are three to six times more likely to sustain an ACL injury than their male counterparts and much work is going into understanding the causes, prevention and possible recovery. The difficulty is that there are multiple causes and there can be any number and combination of factors.
Elite club Uefa’s injury study, a report on 1,527 injuries over four consecutive seasons, from 2018 to 2022, published last week, showed that 64% of ACL injuries were non-contact.
Overloading, inconsistent loading, the menstrual cycle, stress and playing surface are some of the many issues that can contribute to it. Fifpro, the players’ union, issued a report in December 2023 which highlighted workload, travel distance and travel time as possible reasons.
There is no doubt that governing bodies, associations and football clubs in the women’s game must continue to step forward to ensure that their players are given the best possible chance of preventing such a challenging injury.
Kerr will now have to take the first steps in the tough recovery process. Football will certainly miss his presence across the board and Chelsea and the WSL will be hoping they haven’t seen the last of their talismanic striker in England just yet.
