Taylor expects Greenwood to recover for Brighton | OneFootball

Gareth Taylor expects captain Alex Greenwood to be available for selection ahead of our first home Barclays Women’s Super League clash of the season.

The defender was replaced on 35 minutes after picking up a knock in our 3-0 UEFA Champions League second leg qualifying victory over Paris FC.

City welcome Brighton to the Joie Stadium on Sunday, less than 72 hours after that encounter with the Parisiens, but Taylor is confident that Greenwood’s injury isn’t a major concern.

The boss also provided the latest on Leila Ouahabi, who picked up a groin injury in our WSL opener last Sunday at Arsenal.

“Leila was in for some of the session today. We’ll take another 24 hours to see where she’s at,” the manager explained in his pre-match press conference.

“Most of the girls were recovering in between viewing the Champions League draw. Spirits are high, everyone’s really happy and looking forward to now picking up in the WSL.

“I think Alex [Greenwood] will be fine. Again, because I’ve been outside, I know she was being assessed by the medical team but she’s fine, I had a conversation with her and she told me she’s okay.

“That's typical Alex, she’s tough in those situations and will play through the pain.

“I think the challenge she took was probably one of the first actions of the game and she lasted about 15 minutes before she felt it could be too much.

"We were probably looking at relieving her at half-time but took the decision a little bit earlier.”

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City welcome a Brighton side to the Joie Stadium who will be brimming with confidence after an impressive 4-0 win over Everton on the opening day of the WSL season.

New manager Dario Vidosic arrives with an impressive CV in tow having helped Melbourne City to the A-League title in 2023/24, while new signings such as Fran Kirby, Nikita Parris and Kiko Seike have injected quality and experience into the side.

The Seagulls were one of only two sides to come away from the Joie Stadium with a win last season, and Taylor expects another challenge on Sunday.

However, City’s early season form means he’s confident we can get the job done at the weekend.

He added: “Looking at the start of the season as a whole, it’s not an easy start for us. We had to go away to Arsenal between Champions League games.

“It’s nice to be at home at the Joie Stadium for a series of games but we’re under no illusions that it's tough one against Brighton.

“We had issues with them at home last season... now, they’re a new preposition with a new coach and new ideas.

"What they’re trying to do is impressive in terms of how they're trying to change their identity and how they want to play.

“It’s a tough challenge for us but I’m pretty confident with the start to the season we've had, the performances we've had from individuals and the collective that we’re going to make it really difficult for them.

“That's our intention, we have a quick turnaround but we’re in a good place with a number of options that we can go to, whether that's at the start or during the game.”