Since the turn of the year, Leicester City manager Willie Kirk has managed to claw his team back from the depths of the table with a great set of results spread around their fixture list. The most notable of these is a 2-1 victory over relegation rivals Reading, giving the Foxes a real chance of sealing Women’s Super League survival for the second year running, though a strong Liverpool side stands in their way on this occasion.
The Reds arrive in Leicestershire unbeaten in their last four games, including a 1-1 draw with Merseyside rivals Everton at Goodison Park last month. However, Matt Beard’s side were the victims of the hosts’ first away league win of the season in February’s reverse fixture, with the team no doubt looking to right that wrong and bridge the gap between themselves and the bottom sides.
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Team News:
Leicester City:
Key forward Shannon O’Brien remains unavailable for the hosts as she continues to work her way back from a long-term injury, whilst Lachante Paul also misses out.
Jess Sigsworth made a brief return to the pitch in the Foxes’ 2-1 victory over Reading, but has suffered another setback, meaning she is once again sidelined.
Liverpool:
Yana Daniels picked up a knock in her side’s 2-1 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion and her availability is uncertain.
Gemma Bonner also looks set to miss the trip to the East Midlands, whilst Niamh Fahey and Lianne Kiernan will need to return to training before they can re-enter match action.
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Predicted line-ups:
Leicester City:
Leitzig; Bott, Howard, Plumptre, Nevin; Mace, Green; Cain, Siemsen, Jones; Whelan.
Liverpool:
Laws; Hinds, Matthews, Robe, Koivisto; Nagano, Holland; Stengel, Kearns, Van de Sanden; Dowie
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Key players:
Ashleigh Plumptre (Leicester City):
Having played a role in every game of Leicester’s WSL campaign so far this season, the Nigerian international will no doubt be called upon as her side enters the relegation run-in.
An experienced member of the team that was part of the side that gained promotion from the Women’s Championship in 2021, Plumptre has continued to impress and has proven herself as a quality player in the league above, with a notable performance coming in the reverse fixture with Liverpool as she helped contribute to a clean-sheet.
Missy Bo Kearns (Liverpool):
Standing out with just her name alone, the 22 year old has also stood out on the pitch for the Reds this season.
Kearns has played an influential part in some of Liverpool’s most important results of the season, including hitting the target in their victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Reading.
She is also a versatile player, with Matt Beard being able to use her in her primary centre-midfield role, but also as an attacking midfielder or even on the right of the pitch.
Match Details:
Where is the game being played?:
The game is being played at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium.
What time is kick-off?:
The game kicks-off at 12:30 on Saturday 29 April.
How can I watch?:
The game has not been selected for live coverage by Sky or the BBC in the United Kingdom, meaning it will be broadcast on the FA Player in all services that have access to the service.
The social media pages of both clubs will also have live updates, with Twitter the best outlet for the most frequent and up to date coverage.