Overview

• Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor included Kerr in the matchday squad but did not bring her on in the 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge.
• The striker has not played since an ACL tear in January 2024, marking roughly 20 months on the sidelines.
• Bompastor had said it was undecided whether Kerr would start or come off the bench and urged patience with her return.
• New signing Ellie Carpenter impressed on debut, creating Aggie Beever-Jones’s opening goal and earning player-of-the-match honors.
• Kerr stays on 99 Chelsea goals, with her phased reintegration viewed as a boost for the Matildas ahead of the Women’s Asian Cup.