Sam Kerr sustains ACL injury during Chelsea training camp, status up in air for Olympic qualifiers

Australia and Chelsea forward Sam Kerr injured her ACL during the English club’s warm weather training camp in Morocco, they announced on Sunday.

Chelsea said Kerr will be “assessed by a specialist in the coming days,” per a statement, before she begins her recovery. The club did not set a timeline for her return with her status for the remainder of the WSL season as well as the final round of the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament next month yet to be determined. The Matildas will face Uzbekistan in a home-and-away series at the end of February with a spot at the summer’s Olympics Games on the line.

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Australia will be the favorites to qualify for Paris, but the Olympics could mirror last year’s Women’s World Cup on home soil in some respects if she misses significant time. Kerr missed the beginning of the World Cup with a calf injury, a period in which the Matildas struggled before they eventually made a run to the tournament’s semifinals.

As for Chelsea, the reigning champions have a three-point lead over Manchester City after 10 games this season. It throws a wrench into Emma Hayes’ plans as she tries to end her final season with the Blues on a high before beginning her tenure as the U.S. women’s national team head coach in May. Kerr has four goals in eight WSL games this season and is the top goalscorer in the UEFA Women’s Champions League so far with five goals this campaign, a notably crucial output as Hayes aims to win the one trophy that has eluded her during an illustrious run with the Londoners.

The good news for Chelsea is that they do not lack attacking talent. Lauren James has nine goals in WSL play this season, while academy product Aggie Beever-Jones has five goals during her first full season with the club after some loan spells. Hayes can also call upon England veteran Fran Kirby and U.S. women’s national team prospect Mia Fishel for assistance in attack.

A new arrival this season after two years with Mexico’s Tigres, Fishel is one of the first forwards off the bench for Hayes and has one goal in eight league games so far this season. The potential need for Hayes to adjust her attack could provide an opening for the 22-year-old as she looks to establish herself in the WSL and with the national team. It could be a crucial few months for Fishel, whose club success could directly translate to national team achievement since she will have familiarity with Hayes, who will have just two months and a handful of games to ensure the USWNT are ready for the Olympics.