Chelsea striker Sam Kerr suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while on a hot-weather training camp in Morocco, the club said on Sunday.
“Sam will be assessed by a specialist in the coming days and will then begin her rehabilitation with the club’s medical team,” Chelsea said in a statement.
Australia’s football association said there is no timetable for her return, although it confirmed she is expected to miss the remainder of the 2023-24 Women’s Super League season.
Kerr is one of the most popular figures in the sport and was the first female player to appear on the global cover of the FIFA video game in 2022 alongside male star Kylian Mbappé.
“Considering how hard Sam has worked over the last six months to get back to playing [from a calf injury during training at the World Cup]”This news is a devastating blow for everyone,” Gustavsson said in a statement.
“With his ability to lead by example, Sam’s guidance and influence on the team is significant and as a result he will be an incredible loss for the national team. Our focus now is on ensuring he has all the support he wants and needs.” . to navigate recovery and rehabilitation.
Kerr has scored 99 goals in 128 games since joining Chelsea in 2019, helping the club to several titles, including four WSL wins.
She also won the league’s Golden Boot twice and was runner-up to Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí in the Ballon d’Or awards last year.
The injury will mark a major setback for Chelsea as coach Emma Hayes says goodbye this summer to take charge of the US women’s national team. Chelsea lead the WSL with 25 points after 10 games, three points ahead of Arsenal and Manchester City.
Kerr, 30, is the latest female star to suffer an ACL injury, and several top players were forced to miss last summer’s Women’s World Cup, including USWNT forward Catarina Macario, Netherlands’ Vivianne Miedema, the English Beth Mead and Leah Williamson.
Global players’ union FIFPRO said increased workload, travel and insufficient rest have contributed to a rise in injuries, including anterior cruciate ligament tears, among professional players.
In December, European football’s governing body, UEFA, launched a panel of women’s health experts to seek a deeper understanding of ACL injuries and their occurrence in women’s football.
Reuters reporting contributed to this report.
