- Sam Kerr will not play again in 2024 due to an ACL injury
- Will see the Matildas captain miss the Paris Olympics
- The 30-year-old Kerr was also injured during the World Cup last year
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Matildas captain Sam Kerr has broken her silence after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament – and her father Roger revealed how long he expects the 30-year-old to continue playing professional football.
Tuesday to Instagram, the superstar forward praised her Chelsea teammate Millie Bright for being a 'nurse queen' as she comes to terms with her knee injury, which could see Kerr sidelined for at least 12 months.
“I don't know what I would have done these last few days without my Millie B,” Kerr captioned one photo. “I've been an absolute nurse queen.”
Kerr, 30, will miss the Paris Olympics in July after the injury he suffered during a Chelsea training camp in Morocco. Her father Roger Kerr spoke for many football supporters when he said it was 'sad news'.
“It was quite disappointing and upsetting so we had a few restless nights,” he told Seven News.
Matildas captain Sam Kerr (pictured left) has broken her silence after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament during a training camp with Chelsea
Sam Kerr praised Chelsea teammate Millie Bright for being her 'nurse queen' after devastating injury setback
Kerr's father Roger (left) has revealed how long he expects the 30-year-old to continue playing professional football
Kerr injured her calf before last year's World Cup on home soil, but recovered to score the goal of the tournament against England (pictured)
'I think she's a little numb. It's coming to the Olympic Games and Olympic Qualifiers in February.
“She had some sort of injured World Cup and now we were all looking forward and Australia was looking forward to the Olympics… it's sad news.”
Mr Kerr added that an ACL injury usually requires '12 months to make amends', so 'hopefully she can return to the field in 2025.'
He then pointed to her significant workload, which sees her play more than 50 games a year – for Chelsea and Australia.
As a unit, the Matildas must regroup quickly Uzbekistan will hold a two-legged play-off in February in a bid to qualify for the Olympics.
Kerr, who has often referenced how Cathy Freeman's 2000 Olympic gold medal inspired her as a youngster, featured in both the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
The goalscorer was a key figure as Australia won many admirers after finishing fourth.
Her father expects her to focus on the next World Cup and possibly the 2028 Olympics before hanging up her boots.