Sam Kerr is finally back. Her return cannot come soon enough for Matildas | Jack Snape

"Looking back at a largely forgettable Matildas victory over Taiwan in Perth almost two years ago, the smile stands out. Sam Kerr grinned after scoring the scrappy second goal, then beamed celebrating a job well done with the bench after she was substituted. That was the last appearance for the national team of Australia's greatest goalscorer. Two months later she suffered a serious knee injury, and a long rehabilitation has left Kerr stranded on 69 goals."

"Media lapped up news of the pregnancy of her partner Kristie Mewis and the birth of son Jagger. Paparazzi snaps of the couple inspecting the construction of their house in Perth were devoured. Nothing took hold like the melodrama of her late night run-in with a London police officer. The court case, in which she was found not guilty to a charge of racially aggravated harassment, was almost as protracted as her injury recovery."

Sam Kerr scored a scrappy second goal and celebrated before being substituted in her last Matildas appearance nearly two years ago. Two months later she suffered a serious knee injury, and a long rehabilitation left Kerr stranded on 69 goals. The Matildas experienced setbacks including a group-stage exit at the Paris Olympics, coach Tony Gustavsson's departure, mixed results under interim boss Tom Sermanni, and another knee injury to Mary Fowler. Joe Montemurro's June appointment offered optimism, and Kerr's return after prolonged recovery and training with Chelsea provided a lift. Media attention focused on her partner Kristie Mewis's pregnancy and a late-night run-in with a London police officer, with Kerr found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment after a protracted court case.

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