Verena Hanshaw is set to make her West Ham United women's team debut against Everton this afternoon in the Barclays Women's Super League.
The 31-year-old signed for the Hammers on Tuesday, and manager Rehanne Skinner has wasted no time in introducing the Austria international into her side, as Hanshaw is one of seven changes to the starting line-up that defeated Tottenham Hotspur in the Subway® Women’s League Cup quarter-finals.
Kinga Szemik, Amber Tysiak, Anouk Denton, Katrina Gorry, Viviane Asseyi and Riko Ueki are all restored to the XI, looking to get the Irons off the mark in the WSL in 2025.
That means Poland international Szemik maintains her record of starting every league match this term, and will have a slightly new-look defence sitting in front of her.
While Denton and Tysiak, the latter celebrating her 25th birthday, keep their spots from last weekend’s defeat to Chelsea, Camila Saéz is rewarded for her efforts in midweek, as she starts a WSL match for the first time since 3 November.
And new signing Hanshaw makes up the back four, looking to add her international and UEFA Women’s Champions League experience to Skinner’s side.
Moving up the pitch, the ever-present duo of Oona Siren and captain Gorry start for the ninth successive league game together - the first time they started together was in the reverse fixture against the Toffees in October.
Elsewhere, it is likely that Seraina Piubel, fresh from finding the back of the net on Wednesday night, and Asseyi will provide the width for Skinner’s outfit, supporting a front two of Ueki and Shekiera Martinez - who is set to make her first WSL start for the Hammers after impressing on her full debut against Spurs.
Skinner has nine options on her substitutes’ bench that she can turn to at Chigwell Construction Stadium.
After a sensational display in east London on Wednesday, Megan Walsh provides a strong goalkeeping option on the sidelines, while the manager could call upon Kirsty Smith, Shelina Zadorsky or Li Mengwen if looking to bolster her defence.
Marika Bergman Lundin and Dagný Brynjarsdóttir are Skinner’s midfield alternatives for the visit of Everton, while Emma Harries, Manuela Paví and Princess Ademiluyi will look to make an impact off the bench in attack.
West Ham United: Szemik, Hanshaw, Sáez, Tysiak, Denton, Siren, Gorry ©, Asseyi, Ueki, Piubel, Martinez
Subs: M. Walsh (GK), Smith, Zadorsky, Mengwen, Bergman Lundin, Brynjarsdóttir, Harries, Paví, Ademiluyi
Everton: Brosnan, Fernández, Hayashi, Wheeler, Payne, Ladd, Hope, Finnigan, Holmgaard, Snoeijs, Gago
Subs: Ramsey, Vanhaevermaet, Lawley, Ribadeira, Watson, Payne, Thomas, Olesen
Referee: Adewunmi Soneye
