Interim Matildas coach Tom Sermanni doesn't expect to have Sam Kerr available to him until March at the earliest, even if she avoids jail in England.
The 30-year-old super striker is in the midst of a four-day court case after being charged with racially vilifying a police officer.
Kerr was arrested in January 2023 and if she's found guilty in court this week, faces a maximum 26 weeks in jail.
Aside from that, she also continues to recover from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her knee suffered last January.
Kerr has not played a game since the injury and was left out of Sermanni's 23-player squad named on Tuesday to contest the SheBelieves Cup later this month.
Sam Kerr of Australia reacts after England's opening goal. Catherine Ivill via Getty Images
He was asked when he expects Kerr to return to the Matildas fold.
"It's difficult for me to answer that to be honest," Sermanni said.
"Obviously with the court case that's going on at the moment it would be a bit unwise of me to comment on the outcome or whatever the outcome of that might be.
"I think it is a case of waiting to see what happens and then we move on from there.
"From a football perspective my main aim as the head coach is to have her fit and healthy as quick as possible.
"I saw some video of her last week and she's running pretty strongly, from my perspective I'll let this process take its course and then we'll look at what we do after that."
Sermanni would not be drawn on whether Kerr will remain captain of the team once she returns to the Matildas.
Steph Catley will captain the team in America this month.
