Matildas Star Sidelined for Crucial European Clash
Chelsea Football Club has confirmed that Australian captain Sam Kerr will not feature in their highly anticipated Women's Champions League encounter against Spanish giants Barcelona. This decision comes just three days after manager Sonia Bompastor indicated the star striker was likely to participate in the glamour fixture.
Planned Rehabilitation Takes Priority
Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor addressed the media on Wednesday, revealing that Kerr's omission forms part of her structured rehabilitation program following her long-term anterior cruciate ligament injury. "Sam is fine, she will probably be going with the national team next week, but she's not available for us again," Bompastor told reporters.
The news arrives as somewhat unexpected given Bompastor's weekend comments regarding Kerr's potential involvement. When the 32-year-old was left out of Chelsea's Women's Super League squad for the Liverpool match, the French manager had stated: "She's fine, and she will probably be involved in the game against Barcelona on Thursday."
Managing the Comeback Carefully
Medical staff at the London club have determined that featuring against one of Europe's elite sides remains premature for Kerr's recovery timeline. This assessment follows her significant milestone last week when she completed her first full 90 minutes for Chelsea against Austrian side St Polten, where she remarkably scored twice.
"It's just a case of managing her comeback," Bompastor explained. "She got 90 minutes against St Polten and it was part of the plan for her to rest a little bit after that and not be involved in the following two games."
The careful management approach has received support from Matildas coach Joe Montemurro, who earlier this week acknowledged: "Sam's doing really well, and she got 90 minutes during the week in the Champions League last week, obviously scoring goals, and that's where we want Sam to be. But she still needs to be managed, and we've been in close contact with Chelsea in terms of managing the minutes."
International Duties Await
Despite missing Chelsea's crucial European fixture, Kerr should be cleared to travel to Australia for her national team commitments. The Matildas are scheduled to play two international friendlies against New Zealand on November 28 and December 2, providing Australian fans with their first opportunity to see their captain back in action on home soil.
This managed return strategy demonstrates the careful balancing act clubs and national teams must perform with elite athletes recovering from serious injuries. While Chelsea fans will be disappointed not to see their star forward against Barcelona, the long-term outlook remains positive for both club and country.
