Captain of the Matildas Sam Kerr has sustained a devastating knee injury that will likely rule her out of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The 30-year-old Chelsea striker ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at a training camp in Morocco ahead of the recommencement of the Women’s Super League in England.
The injury means a six month recovery at the minimum and can rule athletes out for up to 12 months, meaning Kerr will miss the second half of the WSL and the Olympic Qualifiers Round 3 series against Uzbekistan in February.
If the Matildas qualify for the Olympics, Kerr will sit on the sidelines for what would have been her third Olympic appearance.
A statement from Chelsea F.C. said Kerr, who has scored four goals this season and a total of 99 goals in 128 games for the Blues, will be assessed by the medical team and will start her rehabilitation in the coming days.
“She has played a pivotal role in four Women’s Super League title wins, three FA Cup triumphs, two Women’s League cup victories, and the Women’s Community Shield in 2020,” the statement said.
“Everyone at Chelsea would like to wish Sam the very best for her recovery.”
Tony Gustavsson, the head coach for the Australian Matildas, said the news is a huge loss for the national team.
“Considering how hard Sam has worked over the past six months to return to play, this news is a devastating blow for everyone,” Gustavsson said in a statement.
“With her ability to lead by example, Sam’s guidance and influence on the team is significant and, as a result, this will be an incredible loss for the national team.
“Our focus now is on ensuring she has all the support she wants and needs to navigate recovery and rehab.”
Matildas stand with Kerr
As the news broke of Kerr’s ACL injury, thousands upon thousands of people have shared their devastation in social media posts, including her teammates.
Several players in the Matildas, who won the hearts of Australia for their skill, talent and, most of all, their camaraderie in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, have shown their solidarity with Kerr on Instagram.
“Absolutely gutted for you my friend,” Australian forward Caitlin Foord wrote. “We’ve got you.”
“Heartbroken for you Sammy,” Alanna Kennedy, defender for the Matildas said. “We’re all behind you.”
“Thinking of you Sammy,” midfielder Katrina Gorry wrote. “We are with you every step of the way.”
The Matildas are set to play Uzbekistan in the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers Round 3 in February.
ACL injuries for female athletes
Kerr is the 13th player in the WSL to sustain an ACL rupture this season alone. Meanwhile, last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup saw at least 25 players sidelined due to the devastating knee injury.
While research shows female athletes are up to eight times more likely to rupture their ACL than their male counterparts, research looking into sports injuries specific to women is still lacking.
Lyz Evans from Women in Focus Physiotherapy and Health, a female-centred physiotherapy clinic in Sydney, spoke with Women’s Agenda about the importance of researching and thinking about women’s bodies in the field.
“The female body is not simply a smaller version of a male body,” Evans said.
“There are significant differences between the two genders including anatomical, biomechanical, physiological and hormonal factors that make a huge impact to how the female and male body respond to sport and injuries, and this is incredibly important to take into account for all research looking at sporting injuries.”
Evans said the ACL ligament, for example, is smaller in volume for women than men, as well as the femoral notch, which plays a part in the frequency of the injury for female athletes.
“The maximum strength of contraction that the muscles of the knee can generate under load are also significantly less in women, and they also take longer to generate their maximum strength,” Evans said.
“As result we see increased anterior tibial laxity in female knees, and this may be an important factor in understanding why females are 2 – 8 times more likely to get an ACL injury.”
The hormonal impacts
At the Women in Focus Physiotherapy and Health clinic, Evans focuses on the impact of hormones on women’s health. She said this impact should not be underestimated in research.
“For example over the course of roughly 28 days each month there are with changing levels of progesterone, testosterone and osterogen that affect the stiffness and strength of the soft tissues differently,” she said.
“There is some research that shows there are higher rates of ACL injuries in women just before and after menses, and in some studies higher injury rates during ovulation.
“There are very few high quality studies looking into this but if we could learn more about training women according to where they are in their cycle and modify loads accordingly this could form a key part of injury prevention and rehab.”
Evans said that, with growing support for women’s sport, research in the field of physiotherapy and sports science should take a female-focused approach to prevent the frequency of these injuries.
“We are seeing an increase interest in female elite sports,” she said, “and I hope that with that goes increased funding for more research looking specifically at women’s bodies uniquely.”