Arsenal women injury updates ahead of FIFA Women’s Champions Cup final | OneFootball

Arsenal head into Sunday’s FIFA Women’s Champions Cup final with a near-clean bill of health and a key decision still to be made in defence.

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Renée Slegers says Arsenal are close to having a full squad available for Sunday’s FIFA Women’s Champions Cup final against Corinthians, with Leah Williamson still being assessed but progressing well ahead of the game at Arsenal Stadium.

Speaking as preparations continued for the final, Slegers confirmed there have been no new injury setbacks since the semi-final win and that the group remains largely unchanged.

“Yeah it’s looking good, so same players available,” she told reporters.

“Really happy to have Chloe Kelly back; she worked hard to be back, she’s very hungry and faced with a lot of desire so that’s great.

“Leah Williamson is progressing really well and we’re working towards this game, but there’s still a couple of steps to take and there’s a training session tomorrow [Saturday].”

Williamson has not featured since suffering a calf strain in training following her first Women’s Super League start of the season against Manchester United, an issue Slegers has previously described as minor.

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While no decision has yet been taken on her involvement, the manager’s comments suggest the defender has not been ruled out of a return as Arsenal finalise their plans.

Kelly is available again after recovering from a knee ligament problem. She made her return in the Champions Cup semi-final against AS FAR, building minutes as part of her recovery, and remains in contention for the final.

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The match will pit the champions of Europe against the champions of South America after Corinthians defeated Gotham FC 1-0 at Brentford Stadium, while Arsenal reached the final in emphatic fashion with a six-goal win over AS FAR.

In her press conference, Slegers also highlighted the demands of a season spanning multiple competitions and continents, stressing the importance of squad availability. “Scheduling is very important.

“We just touched upon how the game is growing. Scheduling is key. So, we grow the game, and we want a lot of things, which is good, but we also have to have the players’ health in mind in all the decisions we make.

“So, it needs to grow accordingly from a scheduling perspective. I’m really happy with the games that we’re playing, and at the moment, with the squad that we have and the depth that we have and the availability that we have, we have a squad to do it.

“So, we are very proud to represent England and Europe in this competition. It’s inspiring to play against teams from other continents.”

With one final training session remaining and Williamson’s condition still under review, Arsenal’s focus is on turning a strong bill of health into silverware on Sunday.