Looking back at a largely forgettable Matildas victory over Taiwan in Perth almost two years ago, the smile stands out. Sam Kerr grinned after scoring the scrappy second goal, then beamed celebrating a job well done with the bench after she was substituted.

That was the last appearance for the national team of Australia’s greatest goalscorer. Two months later she suffered a serious knee injury, and a long rehabilitation has left Kerr stranded on 69 goals.

In the meantime, the Matildas have taken more steps back than forward. There was the disappointment of the Paris Olympics, and a group stage exit. The departure of coach Tony Gustavsson. A period of uncertainty and mixed results under interim boss Tom Sermanni. Another knee injury, this time to Mary Fowler. If the appointment of Joe Montemurro in June was reason for optimism, the return of Kerr is uplifting.

The moment is here after a series of physical setbacks – Kerr has put the precise number on “seven or eight” – pushed her return well past the expected timeframe. Rejoining Chelsea training at the end of last season, and an appearance in Matildas’ camp, showed she was close, but it was only this season Kerr returned to the pitch.

Her inability to contribute on the field created a void. A public captivated by her feats in the years before her injury retained their thirst for Kerr, and her absence amplified her actions off it. Media lapped up news of the pregnancy of her partner Kristie Mewis and the birth of son Jagger. Paparazzi snaps of the couple inspecting the construction of their house in Perth were devoured.

Kerr leaps for a header the last time she featured in a Matildas shirt nearly two years ago. Photograph: James Worsfold/Getty Images

Nothing took hold like the melodrama of her late night run-in with a London police officer. The court case, in which she was found not guilty to a charge of racially aggravated harassment, was almost as protracted as her injury recovery.

The evidence sparked a discussion around whether Kerr could continue as captain of one of Australia’s most loved sporting teams. Police bodycam footage had showed the striker calling the constable “fucking stupid and white”. At the conclusion of the trial, she apologised for “expressing myself poorly”.

One of Montemurro’s priorities this week is to discuss the captaincy with Kerr alongside stand-in Steph Catley, who has performed ably in her absence. Catley is experienced, a Champions League winner with Arsenal, and is one of the first names on the Matildas team sheet. But she does not have the gravitas of Kerr. Goalkeeper Teagan Micah described Kerr on Tuesday as a “big figure” within the team.

But the armband is secondary to Montemourro’s urgent need to assess, and assist, Kerr’s recovery. There are barely four months until the Matildas’ first match at the Asian Cup, against the Philippines in Perth, and the simple truth is no one knows whether Kerr will be able to deliver 90 minutes of international football again.

Micah said the players want to be patient. “We don’t want to put any pressure on her or anything, we understand she’s been out for a long time,” she said. “For us, we just really want her to get back to enjoying football, and I think the goals will come with that.”

skip past newsletter promotion

Sign up to Moving the Goalposts

No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women’s football

Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Kerr’s return in Chelsea colours has been off the bench so far. Photograph: Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images

The 32-year-old is yet to play a full match in her return from injury, having come off the bench seven times for Chelsea this season. The earliest Kerr’s number has been called was the 56th minute last week, when the Blues were up 3-0 against Paris FC. Within minutes the Australian had helped set up a goal.

But this is less of a fairytale comeback, and far more of a grind. In five Women’s Super League substitute appearances this season, Kerr has touched the ball just 33 times. Her one goal was from a goalmouth scramble in her first match, and she has had just one shot on target since. She has shown flashes of the old Kerr, but her club coach Sonia Bompastor has admitted she cannot jeopardise her team’s performance to accommodate the recovery of just one player.

Kerr’s importance to Chelsea is large. To the Matildas it is gargantuan. But the striker remains just one player. The next week’s friendlies against Wales and England, as well as next month’s clashes against New Zealand, are a opportunity to inject precious playing time into Kerr’s still rebuilding legs. Montemurro, however, is also under pressure to apply his vision on the side, and the coach must arrive at the Asian Cup with at least one plan that doesn’t involve the No 20.

Last month Kerr reflected on her break, speaking on the podcast of Mewis’s sister, also called Sam. “I hate those moments where it’s like, ‘Oh, my god, 624 days,’” the Australian said. “I just wanted to be on the field so everyone could stop talking about it.”

For Matildas fans and Kerr’s teammates, the week has finally come. Micah put it simply: “We’re just really, really happy to have her back.”