Sam Kerr marks first Chelsea start in two years with Champions League double | OneFootball

Sam Kerr scored twice on her first start for Chelsea in two years as the Blues thrashed St Polten 6-0 in the Women’s Champions League.

The 32-year-old striker returned to action at the start of the season after a long spell on the sidelines following an ACL injury in January 2024.

She had been kept to substitute appearances so far this season before making her first start in 692 days for the Champions League trip to Austria.

The Australia captain, who had started twice for her country during the international break, said she was back feeling “100 per cent” after her injury.

"I'm just happy to be back out here playing in the Champions League again, with an amazing team. I'm relishing every moment," Kerr told Disney+.

"It feels good. It felt like I had to work myself into it but yeah, happy to score. Of course, I prefer to play more minutes. When you come on for 20 minutes it's a bit hectic, there's lots of subs and it can be a bit wishy-washy.

"Getting some good minutes in the national team was a good set. I'm definitely fit enough, it's just about getting miles in the legs now. I'm ready to go. I feel 100 per cent but I was out for a while, so I have to build myself up.”

Chelsea forward Lauren James also marked her return, featuring for the first time this season after struggling with an ankle injury during Euro 2025, with boss Sonia Bompastor welcoming the competition for places in the forward line.

"That's really important. That's almost crucial when you have all your players available from a quality perspective, but also having depth and being able to rotate,” Bompastor told Disney+.

"It was a really quick turnaround between the game on Saturday and this one, so when you are able to bring on some fresh legs and quality, it always helps a lot."