Chelsea and Australia star Sam Kerr facing trial after pleading not guilty to racially aggravated harassment of a police officer

Kerr has been charged with "using insulting, threatening or abusive statements that caused alarm or distress" to a police officer in an incident in Twickenham, London back in January. The Chelsea star appeared in court on Monday and entered a not-guilty plea to the charge, as reported by Molly Hudson of The Times.

During the entering of the plea, Judge Judith Elaine Coello, the presiding judge said, via The Daily Mail: "I understand that the defence is that she didn't intend to cause alarm, harassment or distress to the officer, [her behaviour] did not amount to it and it was not racially aggravated."

The case will now go to trial and is scheduled for February 2025. Kerr will be required to attend in person, with the trial expected to last four days. It has also been reported that there will be two police officers present who will give evidence against Kerr.

The Australian is out injured with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear and will not be able to feature for the rest of the season. She will remain unavailable for the remaining tenure of Emma Hayes' Chelsea career before she makes the switch to the USWNT.