* 21/02/2026
* 06:09
* Modified: 20/02/2026
**Chelsea head into Sunday’s Women’s FA Cup clash with Manchester United without captain Millie Bright, but with a significant boost elsewhere in defence.**
[Head coach Sonia Bompastor confirmed](https://shekicks.net/sonia-bompastor-rules-out-millie-bright-for-fa-cup-clash-but-welcomes-back-defensive-star/) that Bright will miss the tie as she continues her recovery from an ankle injury sustained earlier this month. The England international’s absence leaves a notable gap at the heart of Chelsea’s back line ahead of what promises to be a demanding encounter.
Bright’s leadership and experience have long been central to Chelsea’s defensive stability, and her recent recognition with an OBE underlined her standing in the game. However, Bompastor made it clear that caution will be exercised over her recovery.
> “As you know, Millie got a knock to her ankle in the Tottenham game. She didn’t recover enough to be involved in this game, so we are assessing her every week and making sure she gets back as quickly as possible. For sure, it will be after the international break now.”
> “It’s difficult for me now to put a time frame on her return, but we’ll have the international break to keep continuing assessing her. Except for Millie, we have everyone available and it will be the same squad for the Liverpool game.”
While Bright’s absence is a setback, there is welcome news for Chelsea supporters. Canadian international Kadeisha Buchanan is set to return to the matchday squad after a lengthy spell out with an ACL injury suffered last November.
Return expected
---------------
Buchanan has been training fully in recent weeks and even featured for the Under-18 side as part of her reintegration. Bompastor expressed her delight at having the defender back in contention.
> “We will probably have Kadeisha Buchanan back in the squad for the weekend as well, which is great news. She’s been training fully with us for many weeks now. Yesterday was the first opportunity for her to get some minutes with the Under-18 side.”
> “It was great mentally for her to be involved in that game. Keish is in a good place right now, she’s feeling confident. I think it’s exciting for her be in the squad for the weekend game because she’s been injured for quite a long time.”
> “I think it’s one of those where you know the player is really excited and confident to be back with the squad, but there will be a certain amount of time before she gets back to this level. So it depends on how many minutes she can get with us. We already have a plan during the international break for her to keep getting training sessions… and the plan is for her to keep evolving.”
[Chelsea](https://thedeck.news/former-chelsea-players-abuser-admits-to-offence/) approach the tie in strong domestic form, having recorded 2-0 wins over both Tottenham and Liverpool in recent outings. With almost the entire first-team squad available, Bompastor’s side look well placed to compete despite the absence of their captain.
From a broader perspective, this feels like a defining moment in Chelsea’s season. Losing a leader such as Bright tests depth and character, but the return of Buchanan offers a symbolic lift at exactly the right time. If Chelsea can navigate this FA Cup hurdle without their skipper, it may underline the resilience and squad strength required to compete on multiple fronts during the run-in.