Bompastor Won't Risk James in Champions League Now
September 24, 2026 ·
Chelsea coach, Sonia Bompastor, decided to rest Lauren James in the Women's Champions League match against Austria Wien in order to maintain her fitness for the match against Arsenal in the Women's Super League.
Bompastor Will Not Risk James in Current Champions League
According to Soccernews.
Background
Lauren James, who has a minor injury, is expected to return to action for the weekend's clash with Arsenal. Her presence is very important for Chelsea, especially in the context of the Women's Champions League, where individual performance can have a big influence on the team's results.
Why this is important
Coach Sonia Bompastor's decision to rest Lauren James shows Chelsea's focus on the Women's Champions League and their preparations for the crucial match against Arsenal in the Women's Super League. With Chelsea's ambitions to go further in Europe after being knocked out in the quarter-finals last season, keeping key players fit has become crucial to the team's overall performance.
Main Points
- Bompastor Won't Risk James in Champions League Now.
- Chelsea coach, Sonia Bompastor, decided to rest Lauren James in the Women's Champions League match against Austria Wien in order to maintain her fitness for the match against Arsenal in the Women's Super League.
- Bompastor will not risk James in Champions League as Arsenal clash looms.
Chelsea will not take any chances with Lauren James in their Women's Champions League clash with Austria Wien, as coach Sonia Bompastor looks to prepare her to face Arsenal on Sunday. The Blues are firm favorites to open their European league campaign with three points on Wednesday, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 93.3% chance of victory over the tournament's debutants. Chelsea's previous meeting with the Austrian side in the Champions League came last season, when they crushed St. Polten with a score of 6-0 in the league phase.
Having been knocked out at the quarter-final stage last season after three straight semi-final defeats, Chelsea are hoping to go further in Europe this season, but squad rotation is expected to take place this week. With a big London derby against Arsenal in sight, Bompastor has confirmed that James – who picked up a minor injury in training – will be rested. "He should be available for the weekend game, but we don't want to take risks for tomorrow's game," Bompastor said of James. "He's a little out of shape."
Bompastor also confirmed that Erin Cuthbert, Manaka Matsukubo and Aggie Beever-Jones have all returned to training, with Beever-Jones the only one of the trio to feature in a WSL match this season. "They are back training with the team, so there are a lot of players and this is good news. Manaka is back training, even though he is not fully fit, but it is good to have him back," said Bompastor. "It's great to see Erin back. I'm always happy when most of my players are on the pitch. It brings a positive energy around the team and the quality on the pitch increases. It's great to have competition in the squad, with everyone happy to play together."
Chelsea lost just one of their eight games in the Champions League last season (5 wins, 2 draws), and scored the fewest goals of any team in the competition (six goals). Austria Wien will be the fourth team hailing from Austria to participate in the Champions League, but the teams are winless in 21 matches in this competition (3 draws, 18 losses) since St. Petersburg. Polten beat Slavia Prague 1-0 in November 2022. English teams have won all five of their meetings with Austrian opponents in this competition with an aggregate score of 17-2.
What happened next
Chelsea are expected to rotate their squad for the match against Austria Wien, with the main focus on preparations for the London derby against Arsenal. The return of Erin Cuthbert, Manaka Matsukubo and Aggie Beever-Jones to the squad will provide additional options for Bompastor, who is looking to ensure his team is in the best condition to face the challenges of the Women's Champions League and domestic leagues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What risks are Chelsea taking with Lauren James in the Champions League?
Chelsea will not take any chances with Lauren James who has a minor injury and will be rested for the match against Austria Wien.
What are Chelsea's chances of winning against Austria Wien?
The Opta supercomputer gives Chelsea a 93.3% chance of victory over Austria Wien.
How will this match impact Chelsea's position in the Champions League table?
Chelsea hope to open their European league campaign with three points to improve their position in the Women's Champions League table.
When will Chelsea play Arsenal?
Chelsea will face Arsenal on Sunday after the match against Austria Wien.
Who are the players returning to training for Chelsea?
Erin Cuthbert, Manaka Matsukubo and Aggie Beever-Jones have all returned to training, with Beever-Jones the only one to feature in a WSL match this season.
Related News
- World Cup 2026 coverage
- World Cup 2026 coverage
- World Cup 2026 coverage
- World Cup 2026 coverage
- World Cup 2026 coverage