Emma Hayes is confident Sam Kerr's absence will not derail Chelsea's defence of the Women's Super League title. 

After undergoing surgery to repair her ACL, Kerr will watch on from home as the champions return to league action against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. 

But Hayes believes her players are perfectly capable of coping without the 30-year-old hotshot for the rest of the season. 

The Blues boss said: "Sam has had the surgery, yes. The first part is recovering from the surgery and letting the swelling go down. 

"She is still in that phase at the moment but she is doing well.

"The reality is there are top players in our team who are capable of contributing to the goals. It's important they step up.

"No matter who you are, everyone has to take responsibility."

Chelsea returned from the winter break last weekend with a 3-1 victory over London rivals West Ham in the FA Cup.

They needed extra-time to see off the Hammers but Hayes took plenty of positives from the game, including the debut of new signing Nathalie Bjorn following her switch from Everton. 

She added: "Nathalie has settled in so well. She is a natural leader and very confident in her abilities. 

"What is helpful is she knows the league, has played against every team, is prepared to play in the WSL. 

"She is a player we have been looking at for a long time and we felt the time was right given her age and experience. 

"She has come in and hit the ground running — and I thought she made a massive impact when she came on against West Ham. 

"She has had a good training week but, of course, we're still adapting to her and vice versa. However, I don't think she could've asked for a better start."