After suffering an injury in the build-up to the summer’s World Cup, which reduced her participation for Australia in that tournament, Sam Kerr has admitted the issue has continued to hinder her performances for Chelsea Women this season.

She has still managed three goals in her six appearances for the Blues so far, including a fine header in last week’s Women’s Champions League tie away at Real Madrid. However, Kerr believes she will soon be back to meeting the high standards she expects of herself.

‘I’m feeling better, but it’s been a process,’ she admitted. ‘I’ve never really, since I’ve been at Chelsea, dealt with a niggle or injury. I’ve usually been at a high fitness level and played game after game and training session after session.

‘I’m only on my way back up now, I’m still not at my peak, but I feel like I’ve turned the corner now and I’m on the way up.’

The striker was speaking ahead of our first home game in this season’s Champions League, against Paris at Stamford Bridge tomorrow.

The French side have already shown themselves to be the competition’s surprise package with some high-profile wins en route to reaching the group stage for the first time. That means, despite their defeat to Hacken last week, Kerr and Chelsea won’t be underestimating their opponents.

‘They are riding a wave at the moment, that can be dangerous. You saw with the results against Wolfsburg and Arsenal. To beat two really good teams over both legs, it shows they are an amazing team. You can’t take any team lightly in the Champions League.

‘The Champions League is obviously really tough and you play different opponents every week. We go into every game wanting to win, especially at home. We have a lot of respect for every team in our group but when we go out, we expect to win. I definitely don’t think about must-win games or anything like that. I just think about performing to the best of our ability.

‘You can’t think about the past or the future in the Champions League. You’ve got to think about every game as it comes, focus on one game at a time in the Champions League, and that is what we will do tomorrow.’

Kerr also had her say on the upcoming departure of Chelsea Women head coach Emma Hayes, who will say goodbye to take on a new challenge with the USA national team at the end of this season. The striker is taking a professional view, focusing on how fortunate we have been to enjoy Hayes’ leadership for so long rather than the upcoming change at the Blues.

‘It’s obviously sad because Emma is a great coach and a great leader. She has been here for so long, but that’s football,’ she added.

‘I am in a different position to most of the girls because I’ve had many different coaches in my career. So I wouldn’t say I’m used to it, but I’m more used to it than someone like Millie [Bright] or the other girls who have been here longer.

‘Chelsea are very lucky to have had her for as long as we have, but most of us in football are used to these things. So it’s sad to see her go, of course, but we wish her all the best.’