Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers has confirmed Taylor Hinds and Anneke Borbe are in contention to feature against OH Leuven in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
The Gunners hold a commanding 4-0 advantage heading into the second leg of their round of 16 tie and will host the Belgian side on Wednesday evening, knowing a place in the quarter-finals is firmly within reach.
Slegers provided a positive update on her squad during her pre-match press conference, revealing that both Hinds and Borbe have returned to full training following recent injury concerns.
“Yes, so Taylor Hinds has progressed really well. She did a full session with us today and she’ll be in the squad tomorrow, available in some minutes. So that’s good stuff.”
“The other one is Anneke [Borbe]. She’s done full sessions. So she will be available tomorrow.”
However, there is a slight concern surrounding Kyra Cooney-Cross, who could miss the encounter through illness.
“I think you must have seen as well that Kyra [Cooney-Cross] wasn’t on the pitch today. She was ill today, so we’ll see how she is tomorrow.
“Otherwise, no news. The players are progressing really well.”
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Despite their healthy aggregate lead, Slegers was keen to stress that standards will not slip as Arsenal look to complete the job professionally.
“Of course we know the scenario and that is important for us to know going into the game and what we want to achieve and how we want to do it,
“But the most important thing is that we keep our standards really, really high, regardless of the competition or scenario.”
“And that’s important in the moment if we do all those humble actions on the pitch, because we know that sets the standard for us and gives us a good opportunity to be successful.”
“But also, long term, if we do this consistently well and we focus on the details and we are humble about the details, consistently, then we think over time we develop as a team.
“So that will be no different tomorrow, so everything we do tomorrow is going to be our goal, which is of a really nice standard.”
Arsenal’s position in the tie offers scope for careful squad management, particularly with domestic fixtures still to navigate before the upcoming international break. Slegers has already hinted at the importance of keeping as many players involved as possible during this busy period.
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Clear message
Nevertheless, the message from the Arsenal camp is clear. The aggregate scoreline may be comfortable, but performance levels must remain high. With momentum building and depth returning to the squad, the Gunners will be targeting another composed display as they look to take the next step in Europe.
Arsenal are unlikely to allow complacency to creep in and should have more than enough to see out the tie comfortably, even if rotation is introduced.