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They say a week is a long time in football, never mind 99 of them.

Sam Kerr knows that all too well, as her 692-day wait to start a match for Chelsea came to an end on Tuesday.

After scoring in her side’s 3-1 Champions League victory against BK Hacken on 20 December 2023, Kerr’s career was rocked by injury.

An anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained during a warm-weather training camp in January 2024, followed by several setbacks, kept her out of competitive action until September this year.

After scoring twice in nine substitute appearances this season, Kerr made the most of her first start with two superbly taken goals in Chelsea’s 6-0 Champions League thrashing of Austrian side St Polten.

“It feels good. It felt like I had to work myself into it but yeah, happy to score,” Kerr told Disney+.

“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. I feel like today was good.

“I had a few chances in the first half. I’m just happy to be back out here playing in the Champions League again, with an amazing team. I’m relishing every moment.”

For a while it looked like it just wouldn’t be Kerr’s night.

She may have started two friendlies for Australia last month but her sharpness is still coming back and, in the first half, missed three chances she would be expected to take.

Her wayward finishing continued when she blazed over early in the second half, while her poorly timed run led to team-mate Naomi Girma’s first-half header being ruled out for offside.

Then emerged the Kerr Europe’s defenders hoped they might not see again.

A superb first touch from Wieke Kaptein’s cross got the ball out of her feet, before a sweeping right-foot strike left goalkeeper Carina Schluter helpless.

For her second, Kerr dropped back off the defensive line into space, adjusted to meet the flight of Niamh Charles’ cross and planted a header high into the net.

“It feels a bit sweeter but it feels a bit weird,” Kerr said on whether the feeling of scoring has changed after her injury.

“I didn’t score for so long that I was like I haven’t celebrated, really. I haven’t got that celebration thing yet. I’ve got to score a few more.”

Next Kerr will target a first WSL start since 17 December 2023. With Aggie Beever-Jones missing the last two games with a dead leg, it could come against Liverpool on Sunday.

“I feel 100% but I was out for a while, so I have to build myself up,” Kerr said.

Kerr wasn’t the only one making a comeback on Tuesday.

Lauren James made her first Chelsea appearance in 225 days after suffering an ankle injury during Euro 2025, while January signing Girma made the starting XI for her first minutes of the season.

“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,” Chelsea boss Sonia 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.”

With Beever-Jones and Guro Reiten set to return soon from injury and parental leave respectively, Bompastor could be faced with a selection headache. She doesn’t mind.

“I like to have that problem, I think it’s always better for the manager to have many options and to have to make decisions,” she said.

Carlos Alcaraz came through a thriller against Taylor Fritz to move within one win of the year-end world number one ranking and Lorenzo Musetti captivated the crowd at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Spanish top seed Alcaraz battled back to overcome American Fritz 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 6-3 in a high-quality two-hour and 48-minute contest.

But despite achieving back-to-back victories, Alcaraz must wait to confirm his place in the knockout stages after Musetti’s stirring victory against Alex de Minaur.

Backed by passionate support, ninth seed Musetti produced a remarkable comeback from 5-3 down in the deciding set to prevail 7-5 3-6 7-5.

Alcaraz will seal the world number one ranking – and a place in the semi-finals – with victory over Musetti on Thursday.

On whether achieving the year-end number one ranking played on his mind during his match, Alcaraz, 22, said: “It’s really difficult not to think about the number one spot.

“At the beginning of the match I thought a little bit about it. During the match there were a lot of things to think about.

“The number one thoughts – I didn’t think about it at all during the match.”

Having contested six matches in the past seven days after his run to the Athens Open final, Musetti will be grateful for a rest after his two-hour and 48-minute epic.

Musetti, 23, said: “With a big heart and a big passion – I don’t know from where – I started to play better.

“The support of the crowd was amazing, so I have to thank them all.”

Sixth seed Fritz, the 2024 runner-up, matched Alcaraz for much of their absorbing meeting. But Alcaraz, as he so often does, just found another gear to turn the match around.

An opening four games lasting 30 minutes set the tone, with both players exchanging breaks in lengthy service games.

Fritz, who won the pair’s most recent indoor meeting at the Laver Cup in September, missed two break points in the eighth game, but maintained pressure and seized control of the tie-break to deservedly claim a 70-minute first set.

Alcaraz earned a crucial hold of serve after an eighth deuce in a captivating 14-minute fifth game of the second set, pointing to his ear as he lapped up the crowd’s appreciation after saving two break points.

Fritz overcame his first test of the second set to seal an important hold for 4-4 but he could not escape four games later when, seemingly from nowhere, a rare double fault contributed to a 0-40 deficit – and Alcaraz took his opportunity.

Fritz continued to go toe-to-toe with his opponent and ended the match with 75% first serves in, but Alcaraz took full advantage when his level eventually dipped.

Breaking for a 4-2 lead, Alcaraz sought to finish in style and landed a spectacular overhead backhand drop shot to reach a third match point on Fritz’s serve.

Fritz rightfully received the adoration of the crowd for hanging in the contest, only for a free-flowing Alcaraz to serve out the match to love.

“It was tight. I felt I was struggling more than him,” Alcaraz added.

Carlos Alcaraz came through a thriller against Taylor Fritz to move within one win of the year-end world number one ranking and Lorenzo Musetti captivated the crowd at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Spanish top seed Alcaraz battled back to overcome American Fritz 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 6-3 in a high-quality two-hour and 48-minute contest.

But despite achieving back-to-back victories, Alcaraz must wait to confirm his place in the knockout stages after Musetti’s stirring victory against Alex de Minaur.

Backed by passionate support, ninth seed Musetti produced a remarkable comeback from 5-3 down in the deciding set to prevail 7-5 3-6 7-5.

Alcaraz will seal the world number one ranking – and a place in the semi-finals – with victory over Musetti on Thursday.

On whether achieving the year-end number one ranking played on his mind during his match, Alcaraz, 22, said: “It’s really difficult not to think about the number one spot.

“At the beginning of the match I thought a little bit about it. During the match there were a lot of things to think about.

“The number one thoughts – I didn’t think about it at all during the match.”

Having contested six matches in the past seven days after his run to the Athens Open final, Musetti will be grateful for a rest after his two-hour and 48-minute epic.

Musetti, 23, said: “With a big heart and a big passion – I don’t know from where – I started to play better.

“The support of the crowd was amazing, so I have to thank them all.”

Sixth seed Fritz, the 2024 runner-up, matched Alcaraz for much of their absorbing meeting. But Alcaraz, as he so often does, just found another gear to turn the match around.

An opening four games lasting 30 minutes set the tone, with both players exchanging breaks in lengthy service games.

Fritz, who won the pair’s most recent indoor meeting at the Laver Cup in September, missed two break points in the eighth game, but maintained pressure and seized control of the tie-break to deservedly claim a 70-minute first set.

Alcaraz earned a crucial hold of serve after an eighth deuce in a captivating 14-minute fifth game of the second set, pointing to his ear as he lapped up the crowd’s appreciation after saving two break points.

Fritz overcame his first test of the second set to seal an important hold for 4-4 but he could not escape four games later when, seemingly from nowhere, a rare double fault contributed to a 0-40 deficit – and Alcaraz took his opportunity.

Fritz continued to go toe-to-toe with his opponent and ended the match with 75% first serves in, but Alcaraz took full advantage when his level eventually dipped.

Breaking for a 4-2 lead, Alcaraz sought to finish in style and landed a spectacular overhead backhand drop shot to reach a third match point on Fritz’s serve.

Fritz rightfully received the adoration of the crowd for hanging in the contest, only for a free-flowing Alcaraz to serve out the match to love.

“It was tight. I felt I was struggling more than him,” Alcaraz added.