Chelsea will be hoping to take another step towards the UEFA Women’s Champions League final when they face Spanish giants FC Barcelona in the first leg of their semi-final tie at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.
The two clubs last met in Gothenburg, Sweden in the 2020/2021 final. On that occasion, Barcelona ran out 4-0 winners as Chelsea failed to settle on their first major European cup final appearance.
If The Blues are to gain revenge on Barcelona at Stamford Bridge for that painful defeat, they will have to do it without a number of players. Midfielder Kateřina Svitková and forward Fran Kirby remain sidelined with long-term injuries while manager Emma Hayes confirmed the continued absences of Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan when speaking in the pre-match press conference. Midfielder Pernille Harder is available for selection after recently recovering from a hamstring injury.
Barcelona head coach Jonatan Giráldez has confirmed that attacker Alexia Putellas is virtually back to full training after a long injury lay-off but this weekend will come too soon for her return. Caroline Graham Hansen is available for selection.
The UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final, first leg tie between Chelsea and Barcelona is scheduled to kick-off at 12.30pm on Saturday afternoon. Tickets remain on-sale and can be purchased by clicking here.
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