Latest news with #RosaKafaji
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Arsenal XI vs Barcelona: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup, injury latest for Women's Champions League final
Renee Slegers has a couple of big decisions to make when naming the Arsenal team to face Barcelona in the Women's Champions League final. The first of which is who gets the nod in between the posts. Daphne van Domselaar returned from injury for the semi-final second leg victory against Lyon but hasn't featured since because of a niggling ankle issue. Van Domselaar has trained this week in a bid to prove her fitness ahead of the final and is expected to start, though Manuela Zinsberger is on standby to deputise once again, though she has conceded 12 goals in her last three appearances. Slegers confirmed ahead of the match that her squad has close to a perfect bill of health, saying: 'We have a great squad and a lot of players available. The only player not available tomorrow is Rosa Kafaji.' Chloe Kelly and Beth Mead are battling for a spot on the right-hand side of the attack. The pair have often rotated in this competition and that logic suggests the latter will be picked after Kelly started the second leg win over Lyon. The rest of Sleger's XI is fairly easy to predict. Women's Super League Player of the Year Mariona Caldentey is set to start in midfield against her former club, Leah Williamson lines up in defence, Alessia Russo leads the line and Kim Little captains the side. Predicted Arsenal XI: Van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Maanum, Little, Mariona; Mead, Russo, Foord Injured: Rosa Kafaji Time and date: 5pm BST on Saturday May 24, 2025 How to watch: TNT Sports and DAZN Venue: Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Slegers confirms only one absence for Champions League final – and urges her Arsenal side to show courage against Barcelona
Slegers confirms only one absence for Champions League final – and urges her Arsenal side to show courage against Barcelona Arsenal Women head coach Renee Slegers says Rosa Kafaji will be the only absentee for Saturday's Champions League final against Barcelona. The Gunners take on the reigning champions in Lisbon on Saturday night, and providing a team news update, Slegers said: 'We have a great squad and a lot of players available. The only player not available tomorrow is Rosa Kafaji.' Advertisement Slegers is aware of the huge challenge that awaits Arsenal but is confident her side can cause an upset. 'We want to show courage tomorrow,' she said. 'Like I said, we respect Barca as a team. They are a really good football team so we are humble but we are here to win. 'We have to find ways to win and I am confident that the game will shift in momentum and for us it's going to be important that we deal with all moments really well. 'We need courage, discipline, we need to be switched on. If we do that really well, we can perform really well. We have belief in our capacity tomorrow. 'If you put everything in perspective, where we came from this season, putting ourselves in a position to play this game tomorrow is so much work. Advertisement 'That is us, it is all of the people that have done this for such a long time. We are so proud what all of us are going to do this tomorrow and we are going to go all in.' Gunners skipper Kim Little, meanwhile, spoke of her pride at leading the team out as the club look to win their first Champions League title since 2007. 'It's incredibly special to be here,' she said. 'After 2007 and all the club has done since then to be one of the driving forces in women's football, it is so special to be here and to lead the club in this really special occasion. 'The connection and belief we have with each other. Even when we are not at the top level we know we can get there. That is the thing of any great team. 'You can't play at the top of your game every second but what makes us such a great team, that is a really good trait to have and we have shown that on many occasions.'
