New Matildas coach Joe Montemurro has revealed that Sam Kerr has been forced to undergo a second surgical ‘intervention’ on a fresh mystery injury.
Details on the nature of the fresh injury are still unclear, however, Channel 10, reports that the 31-year-old new mum returned to Australia to undergo surgery to address the matter.
Eyebrows were also raised after Kerr was seen at last month’s Women’s A-League Grand Final. It was also the same weekend that Chelsea took on Manchester United in the Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley, and a week after her fiance, Kristie Mewis, gave birth to their son, Jagger.
It comes as a huge blow for the Aussie superstar who has not played for club or country in 16 months after she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) back in 2024 during a training camp with Chelsea.
She would later undergo surgery on the ACL tear and, at the beginning of the year, was seen back training on grass with Sonia Bompastor’s side.
Following the official confirmation of his appointment on Monday, Montemurro stated he won’t be making an official call on Kerr’s future as Australia captain, until she returns to play.
New Australia manager Joe Montemurro has delivered an injury update on Sam Kerr (left)
The Matildas boss (pictured) revealed that Kerr had undergone a surgical ‘intervention’ to remedy a fresh injury
The Chelsea striker has not played for club or country since 2024, after she sustained a ruptured ACL injury which she required surgery for
Bompastor had also refused to be drawn on when Kerr might return, with the Blues boss stating that her injury time frame was still unclear.
However, the former Lyon manager, Montemurro, has explained that Kerr is now back training on grass, having undergone the surgical procedure while revealing that her knee injury was much better.
‘Look, I think there were some complications and I’ve only caught up with the scenario in the last 24 hours,’ he explained to Channel 10 News, when pressed for an update on Kerr.
‘There was a subsequent intervention, but I do believe she is now back running.
‘I think it was something completely different (to the existing knee injury). I think the knee is fine.
‘I think there was some other issues, but again I’ve only been briefed in the last 24 hours.’
Montemurro also confirmed that Mary Fowler should be fit and firing for next year’s Women’s Asian Cup.
Concerns had arisen that the 22-year-old, wouldn’t make it back in time for the tournament next March.
Kerr (left) and her fiance Kristie Mewis (right) recently celebrated the birth of their first son Jagger
At the start of the year, Kerr had made a return to training on grass with her club team, Chelsea
The Australia striker (right, pictured with Mewis) has been enjoying life as a new parent lately
But Montemurro was happy with how she was recovering after also undergoing surgery on an ACL injury she sustained while playing for Manchester City in their Women’s FA Cup semi-final defeat against rivals Manchester United.
‘My intention is to sit down with all the players, even the extended squad, and map out a process of what’s required to play the brand of football that we want to play from a physical and a mental perspective,’ Montemurro said.
Speaking on Fowler, he added: ‘Mary’s a special player and I can tell you from a club perspective, she’s in the eye of a lot of the big clubs.
‘It’s unfortunate for her, it happens, but she’s in probably the best environment with the City Group.
‘From a physical and from a training load (perspective) and from a return to play scenario, she’ll be right.
‘Hopefully, she’ll be right for the Asian Cup.’
