The Australia striker Sam Kerr will not return to play for Chelsea until February or March, the club’s manager, Sonia Bompastor, has said. The 31-year-old underwent anterior cruciate ligament surgery in January and Bompastor has said Kerr will not be able to play again until more than a year after that operation.

“I would say we are looking to maybe have her back with us in February or March, not before that,” she said on Friday, before Chelsea host Brighton in the Women’s Super League on Sunday. “She didn’t start yet to train with the group, she’s still on her individual-process rehab and I think it will take at least two or three more months for her to be fit enough to be with the squad.”

Those comments would appear to cast major doubt over whether Kerr will be able to play in Australia’s February fixtures against Japan, the United States and Colombia in the SheBelieves Cup, which gets under way on 20 February.

Bompastor also confirmed Lauren James was unlikely to return before the Women’s Super League winter break starts in mid-December. The England forward has been sidelined since October with a calf problem. “LJ is progressing really well,” she said. “She’s in a good position mentally. It will be difficult to see her before the end of the year but we still have a small hope on that, so we’ll see.

“I’m more expecting her to be able to play with us in January. LJ knew from the beginning that it was a longer one but she’s starting to run, she’s starting to touch the ball, so she’ll be fresh in January for sure.”