Keira Walsh will make her 50th appearance for Chelsea Women in their Women's Super League clash with Manchester United. Head coach Sonia Bompastor has confirmed her starting eleven for the match at the Progress With Unity Stadium, handing first league starts of the season to Kadeisha Buchanan and Lexi Potter.
Buchanan comes into the defence in place of Veerle Buurman, while 20-year-old academy graduate Potter starts ahead of Aggie Beever-Jones in attack. The experienced Walsh, a key playmaker, reaches her half-century of games for the club. Defender Nathalie Bjorn returns to the squad among the substitutes after recovering from an injury sustained in last season's Women's League Cup final win over Manchester United.
Chelsea, who sit second in the WSL with seven points from three games, are on a strong run of form. Their recent results show four wins and a draw from their last five outings, including a 5-0 victory over this weekend's opponents just a week ago.
The confirmed starting lineup is Hannah Hampton in goal, with Ellie Carpenter, Lucy Bronze as captain, Buchanan, and Katie McCabe in defence. The midfield trio is Walsh, Sjoeke Nusken, and Wieke Kaptein, supporting a forward line of Potter, Lauren James, and Jovana Thompson. On the bench are Shuai Peng, Buurman, Bjorn, Giulia Dragoni, Maika Las, Maika Hamano, Sandy Baltimore, and Beever-Jones. The Blues' next fixture is a home match against fourth-placed Arsenal on September 27.
More detail at chelseafc.com
