Sonia Bompastor has made six changes to Chelsea's starting line-up for the Women's Champions League match against Hacken at the Hisingen Arena, underlining how seriously she is taking the demands of the campaign. After Saturday's 1-1 draw with Everton, the Chelsea head coach has gone with rotation for Häcken Vs Chelsea this evening.
Bompastor changes the shape of Chelsea's selection
Livia Peng comes in in goal, with Nathalie Bjorn and Veerle Buurman also selected. Kadeisha Buchanan and Katie McCabe are included, while Lexi Potter keeps her place from the previous match.
In midfield and attack, Chelsea are set up with Erin Cuthbert, Sandy Baltimore and Manaka Matsukubo, while Sjoeke Nusken and Alyssa Thompson are among the other starters. Melvine Malard also starts, and her two goals in Europe this season add another point of interest to Chelsea's front line.
What the bench tells us
The scale of the rotation is the clearest message from Bompastor's team news. Chelsea have 11 starters named for the match and 12 substitutes available, which gives the head coach options if the game needs changing later on.
For Chelsea, the focus now is on turning that changed line-up into a strong result in the Champions League. The draw with Everton was the latest reminder that there is no easy rhythm at this level, and this selection suggests Bompastor is looking to manage both performance and energy across a busy period.
