Key PointsSam Kerr’s newest harm may see her miss the 2024 Paris Olympics.Matildas supervisor Tony Gustavsson mentioned Kerr’s management on the pitch can be an “unbelievable loss” for the group.The harm has impacted a number of feminine soccer gamers, with some consultants labelling it an epidemic throughout the sport.
Australia’s captain and star striker Sam Kerr has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) harm throughout Chelsea’s heat climate coaching camp in Morocco.
The harm will virtually actually rule the 30-year-old out of the
The information was described as “devastating” by Matildas supervisor Tony Gustavsson.
“Contemplating how onerous Sam has labored over the previous six months to return to play, this information is a devastating blow for everybody,” Gustavsson mentioned.
“Along with her potential to guide by instance, Sam’s steerage and affect on the group is critical and, consequently, this will probably be an unbelievable loss for the nationwide group.
“Our focus now’s on making certain she has all of the assist she needs and must navigate restoration and rehab,” Gustavsson concluded.
Kerr has already been dominated out of the second half of Chelsea’s WSL and European Champions League campaigns, and Australia’s AFC Girls’s Olympic Qualifiers Spherical 3 sequence towards Uzbekistan subsequent month.
The World Cup semi-finalists want solely to win that two-leg tie – towards a group ranked forty seventh on the planet, 35 locations under the Matildas – to qualify for Paris.
The Video games soccer match takes place from 24 July – 10 August, however it’s uncommon for a participant to return from an ACL harm with lower than eight months rehabilitation, and it usually takes longer.
Epidemic of ACL tears in feminine soccer gamers
Kerr is the newest main ladies’s participant to endure the harm, which appears extra prevalent within the ladies’s sport and is belatedly the topic of analysis into why that is.
Ellie Carpenter, Kyah Simon, Chloe Logarzo and Elise Kellond-Knight are amongst Australian gamers to have suffered ACL accidents lately.
England’s Beth Mead and Leah Williamson, Vivianne Miedema of the Netherlands and France’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto have been amongst a string of stars to overlook the World Cup.
Whereas Spain’s Alexia Putellas had solely simply returned to enjoying and continues to be to regain her former degree.
Kerr, runner-up to Spain’s Aitana Bonmati on the Ballon d’Or awards final 12 months, is Australia’s document goalscorer with 69 in 128 matches.
Chelsea mentioned she “will probably be assessed by a specialist within the coming days after which start her rehabilitation with the membership’s medical group”.
Kerr has scored 99 objectives in 128 video games for the membership, successful the WSL Golden Boot twice, 4 league titles and three FA Cups – scoring in every closing, however is out of contract this summer time.
She was lately joined in London by her companion, American participant Kristie Mewis, who joined WSL rivals West Ham United.
