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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Jack Lacey-Hatton

Emma Hayes gives Millie Bright injury update after withdrawal from Lionesses squad

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes has given an update on the fitness of England centre-back Millie Bright.

Hayes was speaking after Chelsea beat Aston Villa 3-0 on Sunday evening in the Women's Super League, with goals from Jelena Cankovic, Guro Reiten and Sam Kerr. But Millie Bright was once again absent from the Blues defence due to injury.

Bright first limped off with a knee problem in the first leg of Chelsea's Women's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Lyon and has missed three games since. Over the weekend she withdrew from the Lionesses April squad for upcoming games against Brazil and Australia, after being initially included in Sarina Wiegman's squad.

After the defeat against Man City in the WSL last week Hayes said, "Millie (Bright) will be fine before you ask," at her post-match press-conference. But she gave a further update following the Blues' comfortable victory at Villa, which kept their WSL title challenge on track.

"Millie's seeing a specialist tomorrow," she told the Telegraph after the win. "We'll probably know a lot more from the outcome of that appointment."

Both Chelsea and England fans will be nervously awaiting any further updates following Bright's visit to the specialist. The centre-half was crucial in England's run to Euros glory last summer and is arguably having her best season in Chelsea shirt.

Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy has been called up as centre-half cover in the Lionesses squad. Chelsea meanwhile will be looking for positive news ahead of their return to action following the international break, with an FA Cup semi-final rematch with Villa and a Champions League semi-final double header with Barcelona looming.

The Blues moved to second in the WSL table with three points at Villa and Hayes was delighted with her sides' efforts only 72 hours on from their dramatic penalty shootout win over Lyon.

"It was a superb performance from the team," she added. "In the first-half the way we counter-pressed was exceptional.

"The mentality was brilliant considering we played 120 minutes the other night (against Lyon) we led from the front and worked in numbers. That is the best we've done it in a while.

"To come up here and perform like we did, I'm very proud of the team."

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