Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers has delivered a key injury update ahead of Wednesday night’s Subway Women’s League Cup semi-final against Manchester United as she stressed the importance of silverware.
Renée Slegers has insisted “every trophy is important” as she provided an injury update ahead of Wednesday night’s Subway Women’s League Cup semi-final against Manchester United.
Speaking at the Sobha Realty Training Centre, the Arsenal head coach confirmed Daphne van Domselaar will be in the squad, while Leah Williamson is not ready yet despite progressing well.
“Daphne will be in the squad tomorrow, Leah is not in that place yet but she is progressing really well,” Slegers told reporters. Asked if Williamson could return at the weekend, Slegers added: “We’ll see, I think that will come too soon as well but we’ll see how she progresses.”
Slegers also offered the latest on Emily Fox after her early withdrawal at the weekend. “Yeah so she came off obviously, we’ve assessed her yesterday and today, we just want to make really good decisions with Foxy so it’s looking likely she will be in the squad tomorrow and then we’ll assess her again tomorrow and the day after so that’s where we’re at the moment with Foxy.”
Arsenal face United again after two league draws this season, and Slegers acknowledged the fine margins between the leading sides. “I think the league is progressing, it’s just all teams are getting better and they all have their identity but I think all teams find different ways to attack and different ways to defend their own goal,” she said.
“It’s just on a really high level at the moment so I’m not surprised and if you look at us against United, the last times around it’s been a draw twice this season in the league. I think it’s good that the league is getting more competitive and it’s close games.”
She believes her side have played well against United without making the difference count. “Yeah, I think if you look at the first two games we’ve played against United, I think we dominate the ball quite well away but we don’t create so much. I think at the Emirates last time we do create much more but we don’t have that finishing edge or create a clear-cut chance that gives us the goal and we definitely want to take the next step tomorrow at home at Borehamwood with the fans around us.”
Slegers expects United to pose problems regardless of their approach. “They do both sides of, or both strategies, they do really well. So when they press high, they’re really aggressive and they’re happy to go player for player but also like we’ve seen, they are really good low block, defending their own box, they’re very disciplined with all 11 players so they can do both.”
Arsenal go into the semi-final at Borehamwood with the chance to move a step closer to another piece of silverware, and Slegers made clear the competition matters.
“I repeat myself, every trophy is important for Arsenal and for me as well personally. I think we remember that moment, I was with the team when we won the Conti Cup, as it was called a couple of years ago. Again, going to extra time, Stina [Blackstenius] scoring the winning goal and there were a lot of players involved in that journey, that trophy. We’ve looked back at it but again, everything that’s happened in the past can inspire us but it says nothing about what we can do right now. Every trophy is important for us, also the League Cup.”
With the games coming thick and fast, Slegers said she is focused on preparing the group for the next challenge. “I do take into account what’s been so we’ve just played against Villa last Sunday, it’s a two-day preparation going into United so, I definitely take that into account and look at what players are in a good place, what players are fresh for Wednesday because we need full freshness and high intensity in the game tomorrow, but then after that I don’t look much further and that’s the honest truth, but I do take into account what’s been before.”