Liverpool Women are preparing to travel to West Ham on Sunday (something really should be done about the scheduling), and as the old cliche goes, ready to get back to winning ways. A draw against London City Lionesses is nothing to sniff at, but a loss and a draw in the same week is a different kind of momentum that the Red women are looking to avoid.
There have been a couple of injury concerns that have plagued the team as of late, and coach Gareth Taylor did his best to assuage most anxiety regarding
the missing players.
“This week has given us time to get back on the training pitch, to get a few players back. Sam Kerr is back in contention, Mari Ward is further down the line with her return, same with Lucy Parry,” Taylor said in his pre-match press conference on Thursday.
“We’ve lost Lily Woodham for this game so it’s always kind of getting a couple back and then losing one, but that’s football.”
Ward and Parry were unused substitutes in the match against London City last week, so it appears they are still being protected somewhat. They’re both still young so fitness isn’t much of a problem, but protecting them from further injury is a good show of support.
“Ceri is getting closer. Her progress has been really good so hopefully in the next game or two we’ll start to see her reintroduced, but certainly [she will be] back on the training pitch soon,” Taylor continued.
“She is really ahead of schedule and she has been a big loss, I think. For a team like us to lose Ceri, I think that is a big loss.”
Losing Ceri Holland for more than one match is a big loss, as Taylor said, but thoughts of her being ready for West Ham may have been premature. Holland has been working to heal a groin injury since the match against Spurs, which has also kept her out of the Wales NT during the past international break. As important as she is to the midfield, her return is highly anticipated for these last few matches before the winter break.
