Chelsea boss Emma Hayes will make changes for Women’s FA Cup clash at Aston Villa

BY PAUL LAGAN
paul@slpmedia.co.uk

Emma Hayes will ring the changes for tomorrow’s Women’s FA Cup match at Aston Villa as Chelsea continue to struggle with injuries, Covid, and players away on international duty – so much so that the head coach has only 15 players to choose from.

Hayes is also scathing at the FA over the prize money allocated to the women’s game in general.

Beth England, who came off the bench to score the vital opener in the 2-0 league victory against West Ham on Wednesday, is expected to start at the Banks’s Stadium in the early kick-off.

A frustrated England has played a bit-part this season and Hayes hinted that her attitude and training weren’t sufficient to warrant a starting place. But now they are.

With Sam Kerr away with Australia in the Asian Cup, striker England has languished on the bench with Hayes preferring the forward partnership of Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder.

But goals have been a struggle to get in recent matches, making England’s poacher’s strike against the Hammers at Kingsmeadow crucial.

Hayes said: “She’s trained well the last few days. It’s important for Beth to build upon that. The team needs that.

“I’ve said this to Beth. This is an important time. We need you to step forward. You have to perform well every game, to compete, to get in the team. And I think she is in a good headspace with that.

“At a club like Chelsea we have so many good forwards, it’s difficult to get as many starts as you want. But if you are coming from the bench, make sure that you are the very best. I say that to them all. And that’s why she was in against West Ham.

“She impacted the game immediately. She looked like her old self. Let’s hope she can build upon it.”

Hayes admitted that those who were on the bench in midweek will start the cup match.

She said: “There will be minimal changes. I’ve still only got the same players available.

“There are no players coming back, so Alsu Abdullina will get a runout, Drew Spence too. Lauren James won’t start but may get some minutes near the end of the game. Zecira Musovic will replace Ann-Katrin Berger.”

Hayes has launched an attack on the FA over their prize money in the women’s game.

She said: “There was a brilliant letter from the Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana to culture secretary Nadine Dorries complaining about the disparity in FA prize money in the men’s and women’s game.

“Only five per cent of FA’s total prize money goes towards women’s football. That’s unbelievable and unacceptable.

“This has to shift, it really does. Because when we talk about the likes of Coventry United going into a liquidation process, or seeking a buyer, think about the impact an appearance in the FA Cup could make to them, if they could receive prize money? So I was really pleased she highlighted that.

“This is a significant news story that we have to keep highlighting because we must protect our smaller clubs. We have got to grow the women’s game. We can only do that with prize money and an increase in broadcasting.

“So for the likes of Coventry and those clubs further down the ladder it’s absolutely critical that it’s debated in Parliament.”