Absence of key players a major factor in Chelsea’s woes says Bompastor | OneFootball

Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor has highlighted the absence of key players throughout the season as the main reason for her side’s struggles in 2025/2026.

The Blues’ Barclays Women’s Super League title defence was over by the beginning of February following back-to-back defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City. Chelsea’s latest defeat at Manchester City saw them go down by a humiliating 5-1 scoreline.

When speaking to the media ahead of this weekend’s fixture at Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea boss Bompastor said that the response to the Manchester City defeat has been strong.

“We were disappointed about the result, we are not used to losing games but sometimes in football, it happens,” Bompastor said.

“What I have seen this week is hard work and players that are committed. We’ve had really good video sessions with the players and the intensity has been really good again this week.

“We are all committed and we know what we need to do to bounce back.”

Chelsea have been without Mayra Ramírez all season through long-term injury, while Sam Kerr has taken time to get back up to speed following a long lay-off and Aggie Beever-Jones has had battles with injuries at times. Bompastor said that having a lack of availability of key players across the season has been a major factor in her side’s difficulties.

She said “Many things can explain why we are not in the position that we want to be [in]. I’ve spoken a little bit about the depth in the squad, meaning we have had some key players missing since the beginning of the season in key positions. That’s probably the main explanation for where we are right now.

“I know it happens in football. I’m really happy with the players that I do have available, we still have a lot of quality. I’m confident in the players I have but it’s hard when we are competing in all four competitions. That’s the reality [of the situation].”

Turning her attention towards Spurs, Bompastor said that she is confident that her team have enough to bounce back from their painful recent defeats.

She said “They are getting results and they’re a competitive team but I think the game is more about us, we need to make sure we focus on what we can achieve.

“It’ll be a tough game, especially after losing two games but I’m confident that we have enough quality to beat them. It will be tough, we are playing away but we have enough quality to play a good game and win.”

Chelsea’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture at Tottenham Hotspur kicks-off at 2.25pm on Sunday afternoon.