Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor has made seven changes to her starting line-up for Sunday’s Barclays Women’s Super League meeting with Charlton Athletic at The Valley.
The Blues return to league action following an impressive 2-0 victory over Roma in the UEFA Women’s Champions League during the week. They now face a trip across London to take on newly promoted Charlton, with the aim of extending their unbeaten start to the domestic campaign.
Hannah Hampton keeps her place between the posts, while Nathalie Bjorn, Katie McCabe and Veerle Buurman return to the starting defence. Ellie Carpenter also comes into the team after getting on the scoresheet in Chelsea’s midweek European triumph.
Bompastor has also made adjustments in midfield, handing starting roles to Sjoeke Nusken, Keira Walsh and Manaka Matsukubo. Erin Cuthbert and Wieke Kaptein, meanwhile, have been named among the substitutes and could feature later in the contest.
In attack, Lauren James and Sandy Baltimore retain their places in the starting XI. Melvine Malard also returns to the line-up after an impressive performance in Chelsea’s previous league outing against Crystal Palace, where she scored twice.
With a strong squad available and several fresh faces coming into the team, Chelsea will be determined to maintain their unbeaten run and secure another important three points against the newly promoted side.
Kick-off at The Valley is scheduled for 2:30 pm. Supporters can follow the match through Chelsea’s Match Centre, while viewers in the United Kingdom can watch live on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.
Chelsea Starting XI
Hannah Hampton; Ellie Carpenter, Nathalie Bjorn (c), Veerle Buurman, Katie McCabe; Sjoeke Nusken, Keira Walsh, Manaka Matsukubo; Lauren James, Sandy Baltimore, Melvine Malard.
Chelsea Substitutes
Livia Peng, Lucy Bronze, Kadeisha Buchanan, Erin Cuthbert, Giulia Dragoni, Wieke Kaptein, Maika Hamano, Alyssa Thompson and Aggie Beever-Jones.
