Chelsea manager Emma Hayes has urged her team to remain calm but “expect to suffer” when they face Barcelona at Camp Nou on Thursday in the second leg of their Women’s Champions League semi-final. Chelsea trail 1-0 following the first leg and are boosted by the return of two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas to the squad for the first time in 10 months, after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury sustained on the eve of Euro 2022. Over 65,000 tickets have already been sold for Thursday’s second leg at Camp Nou, though that number could increase following the news of Putellas’ return. Chelsea remain without regular centre-back pairing Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan along with England international Fran Kirby, while Barcelona and England right-back Lucy Bronze picked up a knee injury in the first leg and it was confirmed on Wednesday she underwent keyhole surgery. Despite injuries in both camps, Hayes knows it will be a tough task to overcome a Barcelona side who thrashed them 4-0 in the final two years ago.
Hayes said: “We know every player is fantastic. Hopefully [Putellas’ return] adds another 10,000 people to the crowd. We’re looking forward to playing at this magnificent stadium. At 1-0 there is no doubt, with their history here, we have to be at our very best. I have said it time and time again, we have a dressing room of players that want to be in this position. We will give it everything we have got.”
Chelsea captain Magdalena Eriksson hopes to use her experience to thrive on the big stage and is cautious of getting swept away in the history of Camp Nou. She said: “I’ve played in these kinds of games, many of them. It feels like another game I want to get through to reach that final. I went to Camp Nou when I was 13 with my dad and we saw Chelsea v Barcelona playing. In that sense it feels really cool. That is the bigger picture. But the small picture is it’s just another game to get through to the final. We really enjoy these challenges. I was excited about the last game and I am for [Thursday]. I know we can do better too which gives me confidence. We know we will have to suffer.”