MANCHESTER, England, CMC – Manchester City will be without star forward Khadija Shaw and Aoba Fujino for the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarterfinal match against Chelsea at the Joie Stadium on Wednesday.
Shaw and Fujino suffered muscle injuries and were substituted during Saturday’s League Cup final, which City lost 2-1 to the same opponents.
City’s interim head coach Nick Cushing said he suspected the injuries were “significant.”
“The problem with these types of injuries is that it will take a few days to diagnose how long [the players will be out for]. I think that they are significant,” Cushing said.
“I have to find a solution for this game, and then we will roll on to the next one and see where we are. These moments give opportunities for other players.”
Shaw is City’s all-time leading goal scorer and the top goal scorer in the Women’s Super League (WSL) with 12 goals from 14 matches.
The injuries to Shaw and Fujino are a further blow to a Manchester City squad already strained by the long-term absences of winger Lauren Hemp, captain Alex Greenwood, and defender Rebecca Knaak.
Wednesday night’s match at Joie Stadium is the second of four meetings between the two sides over two weeks.
They will play in the WSL on Sunday afternoon before the return leg of their European quarterfinal next Thursday.
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