Sam Kerr is still struggling to rediscover that old lethal instinct in front of goal that's made her one of the greatest of all women strikers, but her Chelsea boss is adamant the Matildas ace is close to getting back to her predatory best.
The Blues' manager Sonia Bompastor reckons she's not concerned at all the 32-year-old again had a scoreless night in the midweek Champions League six-goal trouncing of Roma.
Kerr missed three chances she would normally have been expected to convert, even though she gleaned plenty of praise for her overall contribution to the trouncing.
But having now played 15 matches for club and country since her return to action following her long absence with an ACL injury, Kerr has scored just four goals in over nine hours of football.
At an average of about two-and-a-quarter hours per goal, that's way down on her best.
But sensing improvement in her Aussie star all the time since she's gradually eased Kerr back into action since September, largely with spells off the bench, Bompastor insists: "I'm not worried."
As much as anyone, she wants to see Kerr on the scoresheet because "it’s better for her confidence and the team’s confidence if she is able to score".
Yet she added: "I know enough football to know it will take time for her to recover her best level, but from her performance (against Roma) you could see she is getting closer to her best level.
"Her movement and contribution in the team is better than when she just came back. She is working hard.
‘She has the right mentality and she is making all the effort to get to a point where she will contribute again by scoring goals and helping the team to perform. I’m not worried. It takes time, and I’m hoping for her and her confidence that will happen soon."
Kerr will feature in Sunday's Women's Super League match at Brighton, who, managed by Australia's former Melbourne City boss Dario Vidosic, are no easy meat, currently lying seventh.
Chelsea, six points behind leaders Manchester City as they go for a seventh crown in a row, look to be in real danger of surrendering the title after last week losing a WSL match for the first time in 585 days at home to Everton.
