Matildas superstar Sam Kerr is in good spirits after surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament injury that ended her Olympic dream.
The striker, 30, took to Instagram before going under the knifetelling her 1.8 million followers to ‘still have to wear new sneakers in the hospital’ as she posted a photo of her feet dressed in a pair of Nikes while wearing a patient’s gown.
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes confirmed the club’s striker underwent surgery on Thursday after suffering the devastating injury during what the manager said had been just a ‘simple and harmless’ daily movement on the training ground.
But Hayes, who said she was ‘gutted’ over her goal poacher, did not want to pontificate about Kerr’s future at the club.
There has been much speculation, with some suggesting Kerr may have played her last game for the English champions and others saying she plans to extend her contract with the Blues, which expires at the end of the season.
Matildas superstar Sam Kerr is in good spirits after surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament injury that ended her Olympic dream
The 30-year-old striker took to Instagram before going under the knife, telling her 1.8 million followers ‘still having to wear new sneakers in hospital’
‘She has been operated. Gutted for her, gutted for the team,” Hayes, who will herself leave at the end of the season to take charge of the US women’s national team, told Sky Sports.
‘These injuries happen in football, Sam knows that. I think the most important thing is that we are here to support her.
‘The recovery, the rehabilitation starts now. Today we want her to know that she is with her Chelsea family and that we will care for her.”
Hayes revealed how the injury occurred during Chelsea’s warm-weather training in Morocco.
‘She does a football action every day: turning and shooting. Something very simple and harmless,” she shrugged.
Asked about the growing wave of serious knee injuries among top players in women’s football, the coach added: ‘This is not the time to talk about how those things happen. They happen in the men’s and women’s games.
‘Sometimes we have a prejudice about ACL injuries, but they happen in sports regardless of why they happen.’
Kerr, who has scored 99 goals in 128 appearances for the club, is a big miss for the remainder of Chelsea’s Women’s Super League campaign, with the Blues chasing a fifth straight WSL title.
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes confirmed Kerr was injured during a ‘simple and harmless’ daily exercise on the training ground
Earlier this week, Kerr thanked Chelsea teammate Millie Bright for being her ‘nursing queen’ after injury setback
She will also have to give up her dream of steering them to Champions League glory for the first time.
Although he also missed Australia’s Olympic qualifiers and would almost certainly have to be on the sidelines at the Games themselves in Paris if the Matildas got there, Kerr’s longer-term future was not in question with Hayes.
‘The focus for Sam now is on rehabilitation. I’m sure when the time comes to discuss her future it will come down to Sam and the club, but Sam loves Chelsea and Chelsea loves Sam so I think that’s the most important thing to say on that front.” , Hayes said.
Meanwhile, Chelsea continue their preparations for the start of their Women’s FA Cup title defense on Sunday with a home match against West Ham, the London club for whom fellow Matildas Katrina Gorry and Mackenzie Arnold and Kerr’s partner Kristie Mewis all play.
“I know Sam expects me to say nothing less. Our focus now must be on the players who are fit,” said Hayes.
‘I have confidence in the team we have, and we have added something to it. The focus and attention must be on the players who are here.’