Sam Kerr kept 'unsettling' racially aggravated harassment charge from Football Australia with Chelsea player now facing UK trial

Chelsea's all-time top goal-scorer Kerr entered a not-guilty plea in court on Monday after being charged with "using insulting, threatening or abusive statements that caused alarm or distress" to a police officer in January 2023, news that football's governing body in Australia and the Matildas, the women's national team, only learned of when it was made public.

Speaking to reporters in Adelaide, Johnson, the CEO of Football Australia, said: "I woke up this morning like everyone else did to the news. And that is when Football Australia found out about this unsettling event. We are trying to get to the bottom of it at the moment. We have got our own questions that we'd like to know, we have got to find out what actually happened. But we also want to say that there is a process that is under way in the United Kingdom and that process needs to run its course."

Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson also didn't know about the charge, telling reporters in Sydney: "First time I ever heard about it was this morning. I was informed this morning and obviously was surprised. I can make it very clear that today was the very first time I ever heard about it."

Kerr will attend a trial for the case which is expected to last four days. That trial is currently scheduled for February 2025 and will take place in the United Kingdom.

The Chelsea star is currently sidelined with a devastating ACL injury that she suffered in the New Year. It means not only is her season already over, but she will also not play for Australia at the Olympics this summer.