Four Blues are plying their trade across the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship on familiar territory, while two have swapped home for abroad as they gain valuable experience in Italy and Sweden.

Dutch defender Aniek Nouwen extended her Chelsea contract before joining AC Milan on loan for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Japanese forward Maika Hamano, who signed for the Blues in January, secured a loan switch to Swedish side Hammarby IF for their 2023 campaign.

After putting pen to paper on a contract extension, Nouwen joined Italian giants AC Milan where she has made six appearances since her arrival. She has played the full 90 minutes in five of her six appearances, and contributed to three clean sheets in total.

In Sweden, our exciting young talent Hamano has featured in five friendly matches for Hammarby IF. She has managed four goals and one assist during this time, and will be aiming to continue this form into their first competitive fixture in the Swedish Cup this Sunday.

On home soil, midfielder Charlotte Wardlaw and forward Emma Thompson are representing Lewes Women in the Championship. Wardlaw returned to the Blues from her loan spell at Liverpool before linking up with Lewes, where she has made three appearances in all competitions so far.

Thompson, who joined Lewes on a season-long loan during the summer of 2022, has scored four goals in 15 appearances during her time there, with Lewes returning to domestic action at home to Cardiff Ladies in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup on Sunday.

Elsewhere, defender Jorja Fox has been representing fellow WSL side Brighton and Hove Albion on a season-long loan deal. She has made 14 appearances in total, 10 in the league and four in the cup, scoring two goals in the process.

Forward Aggie Beever-Jones is enjoying life on loan at Everton with 14 appearances and two goals so far. These strikes came against Aston Villa in the League Cup and West Ham in the WSL, with the latter voted Everton’s Goal of the Month and among the nominees for WSL Goal of the Month in January.

Forward Lucy Watson suffered an ACL injury while on loan at Charlton Athletic and returned to Cobham, where she is undergoing rehabilitation with support from the club’s medical team