Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr pleaded not guilty to a charge of racially aggravated harassment in court on Monday.

Kerr is accused of ‘using insulting, threatening or abusive words that caused alarm or distress’ to a police officer in Twickenham, London back in January.

She appeared at Kingston Crown Court via video-link to confirm her identity and submit a not guilty plea. Kerr will have to attend a four-day trial in February 2025 in which two police officers will give evidence against her.

The 30-year-old’s defence is set to be that she did not intend to cause harm to PC Lovell.

Judge Judith Elaine Coello said to Kerr’s barrister: “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.”

Kerr is currently recovering from an ACL injury sustained during Chelsea’s warm-weather training camp in Morocco back in January a few weeks prior to the incident in question. She is expected to miss the rest of the 2023/24 season and is unlikely to play under departing manager Emma Hayes again.

In 128 games across all competitions for Chelsea, Kerr has scored 99 goals and won ten major honours, including four successive Women’s Super League titles.

At international level, Kerr is Australia’s all-time leading scorer with 69 goals in 128 games. She is set to miss this summer’s Olympics in Paris due to her injury.