Rehanne Skinner has made two changes to her West Ham United women’s team for their trip to Chelsea in the semi-finals of the Subway® Women’s League Cup on Wednesday night.
The Hammers face the Blues fighting for a place in the showpiece for the first time in their history, having already stormed to four victories from as many matches in the competition.
The manager has called upon Kirsty Smith and Li Mengwen for the clash at Kingsmeadow, as Anouk Denton and Seraina Piubel drop to the bench after the Hammers’ defeat at Liverpool on Sunday.
That means Kinga Szemik starts a Women’s League Cup match for the first time this term, looking to earn her third clean sheet of the campaign in all competitions.
Smith and Mengwen could potentially start as part of a back five, alongside Shelina Zadorsky, Eva Nyström and Verena Hanshaw - the latter two also making their first appearances in the competition.
Once again, the ever-reliable pairing of captain Katrina Gorry and Finland international Oona Siren will sit in front of the defence while looking to spark attacks for Viviane Asseyi, Shekiera Martinez and Riko Ueki to capitalise on.
France international Asseyi has netted four goals and provided an assist from three matches in the Women’s League Cup so far this season, and is the competition’s second-top scorer.
On the bench for Skinner in south-west London are goalkeeper Megan Walsh, defenders Anouk Denton, Camila Sáez and midfielders Brynjarsdóttir, Marika Bergman Lundin and Halle Houssein.
Looking to provide an impact in front of goal off the bench are Seraina Piubel, Manuela Paví - who both netted their first goals for the Club in the Women’s League Cup - and Emma Harries.
Chelsea: Hampton, Lawrence, Bright ©, Bjorn, Charles, Walsh, Nusken, Kaneryd, Hamano, Reiten, Ramirez
Subs not used: Leifting, Brown, Beever-Jones, Macario, James, Cuthbert, Mpome, Jean-Francois, Kaptein
West Ham United: Szemik, Smith, Nyström, Zadorsky, Mengwen, Hanshaw, Siren, Gorry ©, Asseyi, Martinez, Ueki
Subs: M. Walsh (GK), Denton, Sáez, Bergman Lundin, Brynjarsdóttir, Houssein, Paví, Harries, Piubel
Referee: Stacey Pearson
