West Ham United women’s team manager Rehanne Skinner has restored Manuela Paví to her starting XI for the visit of Brighton & Hove Albion in the Barclays Women’s Super League on Sunday.
The Hammers host the Seagulls at Chigwell Construction Stadium, looking to chalk up back-to-back home league wins for the second time this term, and Colombia international Paví is set to make her first WSL start of the calendar year against Dario Vidošić’s side.
The inclusion of the 24-year-old winger is the only change that Skinner has made to the starting line-up that lost at Chelsea in the semi-final of the Subway® Women’s League Cup eleven days ago, with Li Mengwen unable to face her parent club, missing the clash. Meanwhile, Amber Tysiak is unavailable due to suspension, serving the last of her three-game ban.
That means Kinga Szemik keeps her record of starting every WSL match this term, and she is likely to have a back four protecting her in east London, with Kirsty Smith, Eva Nyström - set for her home debut - Shelina Zadorsky and Verena Hanshaw making up the Hammers’ defence.
Once again, the ever-present duo of Oona Siren and captain Katrina Gorry will work tirelessly in midfield. The latter will be targeting more success against the Seagulls after she netted her first two goals for the Club when the two teams met on the south coast in November.
And Paví slots into an attacking quartet composed of top-scorer Viviane Asseyi, Shekiera Martinez and Riko Ueki, who is likely to lead the line for Skinner’s side.
The West Ham boss has nine substitutes to call upon at Chigwell Construction Stadium. Megan Walsh is the goalkeeping alternative, while Camila Sáez and Anouk Denton are Skinner’s defensive options.
The midfielders on the bench are Marika Bergman Lundin, Dagný Brynjarsdóttir and Halle Houssein with Emma Harries, Princess Ademiluyi and Seraina Piubel looking to provide support up front. Ademiluyi made her return to the pitch for the Club in the Hammers’ last WSL encounter, against Liverpool, and will be striving for more minutes on Sunday.
West Ham United: Szemik, Smith, Nyström, Zadorsky, Hanshaw, Siren, Gorry, Paví, Martinez, Asseyi, Ueki
Subs: Walsh (GK), Sáez, Denton, Bergman Lundin, Brynjarsdóttir, Houssein, Harries, Ademiluyi, Piubel
Brighton & Hove Albion: Loeck, Pattinson, Bergsvand, Losada, Parris, Čanković, Seike, Hayes, Noordam, Haley, McLauchlan
Subs: Baggaley (GK), Bremer, Kirby, Carabalí, Rayner, Olislagers, Stefanović, Agyemang
Referee: Stacey Pearson
