Kerr’s scoring return after 640 days boosts Chelsea’s UWCL hopes

For the first time in 20 months, Chelsea striker Sam Kerr is back playing football. The Australia international endured a lengthy rehabilitation after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in January 2024, with her last game coming against BK Hacken on Dec. 20, 2023.

That game saw her Chelsea career paused on 99 goals. But, 640 days later, she netted her 100th in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Sunday. She was only on the pitch for 13 minutes before netting final goal in the 93rd minute.

“I know people may think scoring 100 goals is just another thing” Kerr said afterwards. “But for me, it’s an amazing achievement and something I’ll look back on for the rest of my life. I’m a goal scorer, that’s what I love doing, and those 100 goals represent a lot of hard work, dedication and sacrifices to get there. It means everything.

“To score 100 goals for any club is amazing, but to do it for a club like Chelsea is incredible. It’s something I’m really proud of, and I don’t take it lightly.”

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It has been a long road to recovery and Kerr faced several setbacks on the way that extended her time away from the pitch, alongside a court case for racial harassment that was dismissed in February, the birth of her first child, Jagger, with former West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis. The 32-year-old also signed a new two-year contract.

“I was really pleased Sam was able to come on for 20 minutes and was even more pleased with the fact she was able to score, because I think it takes the pressure off her going into the future and her next games for the club,” Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said.

“We are all really pleased for her because we all know how tough it was for her, being away from the game and from the pitch for so long. So for her official return, being able to come in, to make an impact in the game and score her 100th goal, I think we are all proud of that.”

But Kerr’s return creates a headache for Bompastor, who has one of the most perfectly curated squads in Europe, with a host of attacking options that now get even deeper. Before her injury, Kerr was averaging 0.61 goals per 90 minutes, from 3.66 shots per 90, with a 16.67% conversion rate.

With Kerr absent, Chelsea signed Colombia striker Mayra Ramírez for a then-world record $500,000 in January 2024 — though she has been ruled out until 2026 with a hamstring injury — and academy product Aggie Beever-Jones stepped into a starting role and ended last season as the club’s top scorer. USWNT star Catarina Macario has floated between attacking midfielder and striker, adding depth to the position, but Kerr’s prolific scoring instinct is something that they were missing last season.

While Chelsea won the WSL without losing a game, and with an historic points tally, they won nine of their 19 wins by one-goal margins.

In 128 games, Kerr has scored 59 times in the WSL, netted eight hat tricks across all competitions, and has scored 53 times with her right foot, 17 with her left foot and 30 times with a header. None of her goals have come from penalties. But it runs deeper than that, 10 goals have come in finals, 31 have been openers and 28 of those have been matchwinners. It was these types of goals that Chelsea were missing last campaign.

Teammates have described Kerr’s return like adding another signing to the squad. Though the club spent around $1.3 million to bring in USWNT star Alyssa Thompson, 20, who also made her debut against Villa, Kerr’s personality and presence is what makes her so vital to this side.

“It’s great to see her back, it’s almost like we’ve got an extra signing with her back,” goalkeeper Hannah Hampton told Sky Sports. “She’s an absolute demon in the box, always finding the back of the net; it will definitely be a big help for us going forward.”

Kerr is not going to be thrust into the starting XI quickly. Though she reached her 100-goal milestone just 13 minutes into her comeback, it will be a phased return. But it appears to have come at the perfect time.

Chelsea begin their Champions League campaign in early October, and will be keen to add the one title that has eluded them during former manager Emma Hayes’ 12-year tenure and Bompastor’s first season. Kerr was listed on the squad list in March 2025 but did not feature, facing another injury set back shortly after, and the Blues were hammered 8-2 on aggregate by Barcelona in the semifinals.

Now, with so many attacking options that can take the load and allow time for Kerr to return to full fitness, Bompastor may have her back in full force for the latter stages of the campaign where her prolific nature may be the difference in the six-time domestic champions finally reaching their ultimate goal.