Chelsea Women face Häcken without James and Girma as Manchester City clash looms

Sonia Bompastor has left Lauren James and Naomi Girma out of Chelsea Women's squad for tonight's Champions League game in Gothenburg. A win would strengthen Chelsea's knockout chances, and the team she picks will show how much she rotates before Saturday's top-of-the-table WSL game against Manchester City.

Sonia Bompastor travels to Gothenburg without two key players. Bompastor says everyone else is fit. She sees the quick turnaround as a chance to put Saturday’s draw with Everton behind them.

James’s absence was expected. She was forced off after 35 minutes of the 6-0 win at Charlton. A scan then found a hamstring injury. Bompastor has ruled her out of every game until the end of the current block.

Girma’s absence is fresh news. Girma has been dealing with a calf injury. When Bompastor gave an update on 23 October, Girma was only doing rehabilitation and had no timeframe for a return.

Chelsea are fourth in the league phase and have yet to concede. They have lost only one of their 33 Champions League group or league-phase matches, with 24 wins and 8 draws. That defeat was a 4-0 loss to Wolfsburg in December 2021, beIN SPORTS reported.

The table leaves little room for error. At the halfway point of the league phase, only three points separated fifth place from 13th, according to UEFA. Häcken are now off the mark. Points in Gothenburg would put Chelsea in a stronger position for the knockout rounds.

Bompastor knows the venue. Her first Champions League match as a head coach was at Häcken’s Nordic Wellness Arena in October 2021. Her Lyon side won 3-0 that night.

The draw with Everton was not for lack of control. Chelsea had 65 per cent of the ball and took 20 shots. Eight were on target, worth 2.23 expected goals in total. Everton did not have a single shot on target. Bompastor was frustrated not to win.

The price was first place. It turns the weekend visit of City into a top-of-the-table game. The match is live on BBC One.

Rotation is the open question tonight. Against Everton, Bompastor made four changes to her team, with Wieke Kaptein starting in place of James. How many changes she makes in Gothenburg will show how she is managing the squad before City. This is also the only first-team game during the men’s international break.

Supporters still hoping to attend the City game have a last-chance-to-buy ticket phase, which opens at 12pm on Wednesday 11 November. After City, Chelsea return to Europe at home to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday 18 November, with kick-off at 21:00 CET.