Revealed: When Sam Kerr looks set to FINALLY return for the Matildas after her injury and court case hell

Matildas fans have a good reason to celebrate with Sam Kerr set to return to action in front of 50,000 supporters at Marvel Stadium later this year in a blockbuster friendly series against Argentina.

Kerr has not played since tearing an anterior cruciate ligament during the her club’s warm weather training camp in Morocco in 2024.

The 31-year-old was hoped to bolster a floundering Matildas side against South Korea, having been sorely missed in their disastrous Olympics and SheBelieves Cup campaigns. 

Sonia Bompastor, coach of Kerr’s Women’s Super League club Chelsea, had last week ruled out any prospect of Kerr returning to competitive action until mid-April at the earliest after the looming international break. 

Kerr’s opportunity to make the Matildas squad will come in the series against Argentina – the first match will be played at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on May 30 and the second at Canberra’s GIO Stadium on June 2.

The superstar striker’s return in the green and gold will certainly boost ticket sales for the matches.

It will be a big year for Kerr, who is set to marry fiancee Kristie Mewis while the couple are also expecting their first child

‘We’re thrilled to welcome the Matildas back to Melbourne and to give Victorians another opportunity to see one of the most exciting teams in world football,’ Victorian tourism minister Steve Dimopolous said in a statement.

The series against Argentina might also be where the Matilda’s new coach will make their long-awaited debut. 

Officials at Football Australia are desperate to secure the position as they prepare for the 2026 Asian Cup.

Australia’s national women’s team have recently slumped to their equal-worst position in the history of FIFA world rankings since they were introduced in 2003, down to No.16.

Kerr’s recent return to training comes after she was found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment of a UK police officer.

The Matildas star maintained that she had never intended to insult or harm anyone with her words.

‘Following today’s not guilty verdict, I can finally put this challenging period behind me,’ she said in a statement after the court case.

‘While I apologise for expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening, I have always maintained that I did not intend to insult or harm anyone, and I am thankful that the jury unanimously agreed.’

Kerr has been sidelined with an ACL injury for over a year

Kerr was found not guilty of racially harassing a police officer earlier this year

She also expressed gratitude to her supporters, saying, ‘I would like to thank my partner Kristie, my family, friends, and all the fans for their love and support, especially those who attended court each day.’

Off the field, Kerr and her fiancée Kristie Mewis are preparing for a major life change.

The couple announced in November that they are expecting a baby later this year. During her trial, Kerr revealed they are expecting a baby boy and had planned to get married in December.

The couple started dating during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where they were seen together on the field after a match between Australia and the United States.

It is understood that Kerr and Mewis first met while they were both competing for clubs in the National Women’s Soccer League in the USA back in 2019.

They had spoken online for nearly four months during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, with the pair also believed to have spent two weeks in lockdown together.

The couple publicly confirmed their relationship in August 2021 through an Instagram post and announced their engagement in November 2023.