Key events
Faye Carruthers is in the hotseat as Suzanne Wrack, Tom Garry and Sophie Downey discuss the latest goings-on in the women’s game. Listen to our podcast here and if you’re not already a subscriber, you can sign up for free on all the usual platforms.
Early Chelsea team news
Sophie Ingle, Aniek Nouwen, Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel are all out with ACL injuries, while Niamh Charles continues her recovery from a surgery on a shoulder injury.
Goalkeeper Hannah Hampson and American international Catarina Macario could return after missing the midweek win over Real Madrid through illness, while midfielder Erin Cuthbert also sat that game out with a knock but could return this afternoon.
Early Arsenal team news
Arsenal’s Swedish defender Amanda Ilestedt is unavailable for selection as she is expecting her first child, while her compatriot Lina Hurtig also remains out.
The team’s Austrian right-back Laura Wienroither is also sidelined with an injury she picked up in her team’s 1-0 win over Leicester, while Arsenal’s Dutch defender Victoria Pelova is out for the foreseeable future after rupturing her ACL while on international duty during the summer.
In better news for the Gunners, skipper Leah Williamson is expected to make her first league start of the season after playing the full 90 minutes against Bayern Munich in midweek.
WSL: Arsenal v Chelsea
Arsenal welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium for this weekend’s WSL curtain-raiser, with the visitors hoping to maintain their 100% start to the season.
They sit second in the table with two wins from two and beat Real Madrid in the Champions League in midweek, albeit courtesy of a performance that drew criticism from their French manager, Sonia Bompastor.
Arsenal’s start to the season has been comparatively underwhelming, with a scoreless league draw against Everton coming ahead of a 5-2 European pummelling at the hands of Bayern Munich at the FC Bayern Campus. Kick-off in North London is at 1.45pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
