The winter break was long and heartbreaking, with Chelsea losing Sam Kerr to an ACL injury for at least the rest of this season. No one knows how massively impactful her absence will be until we hit the pitch, so all eyes on today’s game against West Ham in the Women’s FA Cup, 4th round, as we begin our defence of the Cup.
Chelsea team news: Chelsea entered the winter break on December 20th with a 3-1 away win against BK Häcken to take over first place in our Champions League group. Erin Cuthbert’s brace made sure Sam Kerr’s first-half opener wouldn’t go to waste after the hosts had equalized.
Aside from Kerr’s injury, the break was welcomed by manager Emma Hayes who had time to offer her squad some well deserved rest before also getting in some fitness work during the warm-weather training camp in Morocco.
Kerr joins Millie Bright, Kateřina Svitková, and Catarina Macario in our list of long-term injuries. Macario could be getting close at the right time, having recently made her belated return to training with the team. New signing Nathalie Björn should be set to make her debut.
West Ham team news: West Ham entered the winter break in very bad shape, competitively speaking. They had not won a game since October 11, when they beat Charlton in the League Cup: seven losses and two draws have followed since.
But this is the FA Cup, and Chelsea don’t have Sam Kerr. And West Ham do have a few new players, including USWNT midfield Kristie Mewis (who just so happens to be engaged to Sam Kerr) as well as Shelina Zadorsky (on loan from Spurs) and 100-times capped Katrina Gorry of Australia.
While it still feels like stars and planets would have to align in order for West Ham to win a match this season — they currently sit 11th (of 12) in the Women’s Super League with just five points from 10 played — we haven’t had any easy matches this season.
Previously: Goals from Sam Kerr and Erin Cuthbert at the end of each half give Chelsea a 2-0 win over the Hammers at Kingsmeadow back in October.
