Sam Kerr is unavailable after suffering a serious knee injury during our winter training camp, meaning she drops out of the team as one of two changes from the side which ended the year with a 3-1 win at Hacken in the Champions League.

She is replaced by the returning Fran Kirby, who will be supported in attack by the trio of Lauren James, Guro Reiten and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd. In the absence of Kerr or Millie Bright, Sophie Ingle captains the side, lining up in midfield alongside Erin Cuthbert.

The other change is at full-back, with Eve Perisset coming in for Niamh Charles. Ashley Lawrence, Kadeisha Buchanan and Jess Carter all continue in the back four, as does goalkeeper Zecira Musovic.

January signing Nathalie Bjorn could make her debut at Kingsmeadow today after being included among the substitutes by Hayes.

Chelsea: Musovic, Perisset, Buchanan, Carter, Lawrence, Ingle (c), Cuthbert, Rytting Kaneryd, James, Reiten, Kirby

Substitutes: Hampton, Bjorn, Mjelde, Leupolz, Nusken, Cankovic, Fleming, Beever-Jones, Fishel