Sonia Bompastor has confirmed that her side will be without Aggie Beever-Jones, Niamh Charles, Keira Walsh and Catarina Macario in their fourth round FA Cup clash.
The quartet all missed Chelsea’s win against West Ham as the Women’s Super League resumed, and the FA Cup fixture has come too soon for the injured group.
The Chelsea head coach acknowledged that while they would be absent from the squad at Kingsmeadow, she was positive about their progress.
“Keira [Walsh] and Aggie [Beever-Jones] won’t be available for the game this weekend,” said Bompastor. “But both are in a good place in their rehab plan, and both are close to a return.”
As for Niamh Charles, the midfielder is dealing with the knock-on effect from an ankle problem she picked up against Aston Villa back in September.
“Niamh is managing some ankle pain. She had an injury during the first part of the season, and the ankle has flared up,” said the coach. “The irritation is a bit higher now, and we are managing that to make sure she can play without pain.”
Macario is suffering from a problem in her heel which began before Christmas, but is “progressing in her rehab and heading in the right direction,” according to Bompastor.
“We’ll assess Cat and Niamh to see if they can be involved with the team next week,” she finished.
Holders Chelsea join the FA Cup in the fourth round with the rest of the top flight teams, and take on London rivals Crystal Palace at Kingsmeadow.
