Chelsea heads 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 that Bright will miss the tie as she continues her recovery from an ankle injury sustained earlier this month.
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The England international’s absence leaves a notable gap at the heart of Chelsea’s backline 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.
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Bright Out Until After International Break
Bompastor made it clear that caution will be exercised over Bright’s 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. For sure, it will be after the international break now.”
The Chelsea boss added, “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.”
Buchanan Back After ACL Injury
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. This is brilliant news for Chelsea, who have desperately missed the defender’s quality.
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Buchanan has been training fully in recent weeks and was 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, which is great news. Keish is in a good place right now, she’s feeling confident.”
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Chelsea approached the tie in strong domestic form, having recorded 2-0 wins over both Tottenham and Liverpool recently.
Also read: Sonia Bompastor Wants Change in ‘This’ Rule as Chelsea Boss Says Players Receiving Tactical Instructions During Treatment Should Get Yellow Card