Liverpool Women vs Everton Women injury and suspension latest as 14 players could miss out
Everton Women are looking to secure their second derby win of the season as they face Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The Toffees have picked up form as of late, with Scott Phelan overseeing successive wins against London City Lionesses and West Ham since taking charge at the top of the month.
Everton sit eighth in the Women’s Super League, with the league now put on hold until 15 March.
With league action paused, Phelan’s side are back in action this weekend as they face Liverpool at Anfield in a big FA Cup fifth-round clash, after beating their rivals 4-1 on the season’s opening day.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s Merseyside derby, Phelan provided insight into the personnel available as Everton look to secure a quarter-final spot.
- Read more: WSL break begins: Everything fans need to know ahead of FA Cup derby in Everton vs Liverpool
Six Everton players set to miss out vs Liverpool
Confirming no new injury news at his pre-match press conference, Everton’s injury situation remains the same as it was ahead of last week’s win against West Ham.
Katja Snoeijs remains sidelined after rolling her ankle against Manchester City in January. The Dutch forward was ruled out for four to six weeks following the incident and has been in a protective boot since, with mid-March initially mentioned as a possible return point.
Antionette Payne is also expected to miss out. The defender picked up a muscle injury at the end of January and is set to sit out this current block of fixtures.
Club captain Megan Finnigan continues her recovery from knee surgery after undergoing an operation back in October.
Lucy Hope will not feature either, having announced last summer that she is expecting a child, while Karen Holmgaard remains out. The Danish international suffered a knee injury in January that “didn’t look good” at the time, and she remains under assessment with no timeframe yet placed on her comeback.
Elise Stenevik completes the list of Everton absentees. The Norwegian defender has been out since November after sustaining what was described as a severe hamstring injury.
Liverpool absentees:
- Sofie Lundgaard Pedersen
- Sam Kerr
- Alive Bergstrom
- Anna Josendal
- Zara Shaw
- Kirsty MacLean (late fitness test)
- Marie-Therese Hobinger
- Sophie Roman Haug
What did Scott Phelan say ahead of big Merseyside derby?
Boss Phelan has made it clear that his side’s focus remains firmly on victory, regardless of the competition.
The Toffees head into Sunday’s derby having picked up three wins in a row. Phelan outlined that a mentality shift has been central to recent form, which has seen them extend the gap to the relegation zone in the WSL.
“One of the first things we tried to achieve was creating a mentality within the group to win games of football,” Phelan said in his pre-match press conference.
“We are excited and confident from the recent run of form. Hopefully, that can help us going into an exciting fixture at the weekend.”
“We want to win, regardless of whether it’s league or cup,” added Phelan.
“The focus on our group is to perform and represent the club in a way that we expect. We have got a tough game this weekend. We want to qualify for the next round of this competition.”
The Toffees have also picked up clean sheets in back to back games heading into the derby, Phelan said: “Clean sheets aren’t something we have kept often.
“We won the last two games and didn’t concede which is really good. The organisation, effort and togetherness that the players have shown is really good.
“It is very much early days. The fact that the players have responded quickly to what we have asked them is a credit to them. That togetherness will always help us guide a way through. They are strong foundations to move forward with,” concluded Phelan.
Having secured a 4-1 win at Anfield earlier this season, Everton will be looking to add another big win to their record over the other side of Stanley Park, securing their FA Cup spot in the process.
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