Carla Ward turned her attention towards Wednesday's trip to Chelsea at her pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
Aston Villa Women's manager previewed the Barclays WSL clash as she spoke to media from Bodymoor Heath.
Here's what she had to say...
On team news...
“The usuals are still out. Daphne [van Domselaar]’s out, Lucy Parker, Lucy Stan[iforth]. Lucy Parker and Lucy Stan are back on the grass so I would envisage certainly one being back next week and then the following week, the other. Maz Pacheco is out with a hamstring injury. We’ve got a couple of players that have returned from international duty and will be assessed. Kirsty Hanson will be back in the squad.”
On Kirsty Hanson's return...
“She’s been back in training for a week which has been good. She’s been out for a period so we need to get her up to speed. It’s good to have another attacking option in and around it.”
On Rachel Daly...
“It’s no secret, me and Rach have a really good relationship. We’ve spoken about it for a period of time now and I knew going into the most recent camp that it would be her last. She’s picked her moment and it’s the right moment for her. She’ll go down as an England legend. Anyone that wins the Euros you could say the same for. She’s certainly left a legacy and she’s inspired a generation. She’s not finished yet. She wants to continue to inspire on and off the pitch. We have a wonderful human being in this building now and her full focus will be on Aston Villa.”
On facing Chelsea...
“A wounded animal is a dangerous animal. It’s as clear as that. Emma [Hayes] and her team are mentality monsters, we know that. They’re hurting and you don’t ever want to play a team that’s hurting. Especially a Chelsea team, champions, that are hurting. They will want to react and I have absolutely no doubt they will react. They’re world class, they’ve got a world class manager and they’ll want to stay on track in their attempt to win the league.”