Sam Kerr has been in the headlines again but not for her football, for a court appearance.
The Chelsea forward attended Kingston crown court in London for a hearing on Tuesday and Wednesday where it was decided a trial will go ahead in relation to her charge of causing a police officer harassment, alarm or distress under Section 4A of the Public Order Act.
The trial will begin on 3 February and is due to last several days.
Sam Kerr: What is she accused of?
It has been reported police were called in January 2023 when the Australia captain was returning home from a night out because of a dispute over a taxi fare.
Kerr is then accused of calling a police officer a "stupid white b*stard", she is set to plead not guilty during next month's trial.
Kerr's legal team had argued because it took a year to charge the 31-year-old there had been an abuse of process.
The star has not played for Chelsea in more than a year after she ruptured her ACL in January 2024.
Previous to this she had scored 58 goals in 75 WSL games for the Blues and has won the league every season since she joined in 2019.
She is also on 99 Chelsea goals, her last coming in her last appearance for Chelsea against Bristol City in the top-flight in December 2023.
Kerr, who in FourFourTwo's view is one of the best players to ever play the game and is 19th on our best current players list, was included in a warm weather camp earlier this month.
However, Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has said she doesn't expect the striker back on the pitch until February at the earliest.
"We are looking to maybe have her back with us in February or March, not before that," Bompastor said in December. "She's still on her individual process rehab.
"It will take at least two or three more months for her to be fit enough to be with the squad."
