Sonia Bompastor confirms Hannah Hampton availability for Chelsea Women’s FA Cup semi-final | OneFootball

Sonia Bompastor

Sonia Bompastor has confirmed that goalkeeper Hannah Hampton is available for selection ahead of Chelsea’s Women’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City.

The Lioness missed out on the weekend’s win over Leicester City, sitting on the bench while Livia Peng was named in the starting line-up.

But in her press conference on Thursday, the Chelsea head coach revealed that it was a squad rotation decision rather than enforced by fitness.

“Hannah is completely fine,” said Bompastor, according to the club’s official website.

“I rotated the team a little bit last weekend for the game against Leicester. It allowed me to give some opportunities to other players, Liv being one of them. Liv has been incredible for us. So she deserved to play.”

Another player who missed out on that victory was Naomi Girma – but she will not be able to play this weekend, said Bompastor, due to a calf problem.

Sonia Bompastor: Sam Kerr is crucial for Chelsea

Bompastor also spoke about Sam Kerr, the Australian striker who has now become the Blues’ all-time leading scorer in the Women’s Super League – overtaking a mark set by Fran Kirby.

Kerr has had a staggered return to action after a lengthy absence due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

But she seems to be somewhere close to the peak of her powers now – needing three more goals to become the club’s highest-ever goalscorer in all competitions.

And Bompastor hopes that she will move in on that target this weekend.

“Our job as managers is to make sure when you come into these big games, you bring everyone in at their best form possible, for them to perform at their best level,” explained Bompastor.

“Having Sam available, fit to feature and being able to make a big impact for us is crucial because we know her experience, we know all the quality she can bring and the impact she can bring to the team. We are hoping for her to be able to do that on Sunday as well.”